SKU Kakumei no Bara
by Captain Platypus
Summary: A try at a serious long lasting Utena fic that goes beyond the series and doesn't overdo the Utena steriotypes.
1. A Reunion and a Romance

In the fairy tales children read, princesses dance with fairies and princes save kingdoms from the hold of a wicked witch. But this story is very different. In it, the princess dancing with the fairies is the witch and the prince is not there to kill her, but to save her. And, instead of finding his princess and riding off into the sunset to live happily ever after; the prince disappears at the hands of a million swords and the princess is left to wander the earth alone.  
  
Sounds like a bad ending, right? That's because it isn't the ending. This is only the beginning of the tale. This story actually starts when the princess finds the prince.  
  
Oh yeah, and did I mention that the Prince is actually a girl.  
  
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Shoujo Kakemi Utena: Kakumei no Bara  
  
A Reunion and a Romance; The Rose Bride Finds Her Prince  
  
The little restaurant that Anthy stepped into looked like almost every other one she had been in since she had started her travels. There was no extravagance to be seen. Only a small space etched between two other buildings where people came to get food. Of course it wasn't like any restaurant she had been in before. If it were, there would be nothing worth mentioning.  
  
The dark princess took a seat at the bar and waited to be served by one of the rather ragged looking waitresses. Sighing to herself she pulled out the only clue she had to finishing her quest. It read as follows:  
  
Name: Tenjou, Utena  
  
Occupation: Student  
  
Last Known Location: Ohtori academy  
  
Family: Tenjou Yurika (Aunt)  
  
Tenjou Sakura (Cousin)  
  
Family's Last Known Location : Tokyo prefecture  
  
It wasn't much really. It was all she could get before wiping Ohtori's central computer system, but it was something. So she was here in a restaurant in Tokyo about to have lazily prepared food and wondering if maybe it was a good idea to come here.  
  
Let it never be said that the former Rose Bride's luck was anything but stellar. For at that moment, she was snapped out of her private thoughts as she heard the squeal of tires, the screams of people and then a pronounced crash.  
  
The next thing she knew, she was standing outside with the rest of the onlookers at one of the worst accidents she had ever seen. Then she heard the woman's screeching and her heart broke in several places.  
  
"Where's my baby!?! Where's my little Jun!?!"  
  
A panic rose in the crowd that could have very well have escalated into something dangerous if someone else in the crowd didn't intervene soon enough.  
  
"Hey, look over there!" A faceless voice rung out clearly over the crowd and all eyes turned at once.  
  
Crouching on the other corner was a strange figure covering a small child with her body from the wreckage. She stood and turned to walk across the street and present the child to its mother. Anthy couldn't see much due to the jubilation of the crowd. She managed to make her way to the front of the crowd with much difficulty and effort, but she got there; and nearly fainted as she saw the pink hair and athletic figure of her engaged.  
  
"Utena-sama" she squeaked out.  
  
Every muscle in Utena's body snapped to attention and bolted upright. During her rescue, she had barely broken a sweat, but a fine sheen appeared on her skin and her breathing started laboring as she heard the voice behind her. As she started turning, it was evident in her quivering that she was terrified of what was happening. However, time has a tendancy of making the inevitable move much too quickly. Then she was left face to face with a face that haunted her nightmares.  
  
"Himemiya; just Utena will do."  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
They entered Utena's bedroom without so many words as thoughts. Utena sat on her bed and stared at the ceiling while Anthy started unpacking her things into some drawers. That's when she saw the case. She opened it up to find two very beautiful earrings.  
  
"You kept them." It was both a question and a statement from the Dark Princess. It was also very forlorn. She knew it was very hard to get over her brother, but she had hoped that Utena was different from all of his other dejected lovers.  
  
"Yeah," Utena said, besides her suddenly. She didn't see her move, but Utena was starting to do that a lot lately. "He may be manipulating scum, but he had good taste in jewelry." Suddenly Utena was sitting in the little chair at her desk holding the box. Anthy didn't even know when she had moved. "I couldn't afford these things if I did a thousand summer jobs at the same time. I'm keeping them." Utena said as she cuddled the earrings close to her face. Anthy stared in amused amazement. There were times when she forgot that Utena was still feminine sometimes. She remembered how Utena had looked their first time. Utena had been scared and shy about 'doing it with another girl.' Then she also thought about the closet. Dresses and skirts next to beat up jeans and princely clothes. It was easy to be confused with Utena who even now wore a button down men's shirt with a short skirt and baseball cap. Anthy smile and giggled a little as she sat down in the seat that Utena had occupied only seconds earlier. Utena got up and stood behind her friend. She leaned Anthy's head back and kissed her on the forehead.  
  
"Did I tell you today that I love you?"  
  
"Not today."  
  
"Well I do."  
  
It was just that simple  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Akio Ohtori sat in his office staring out the window. He'd always prided himself on being a patient man and always keeping his cool in any situation, but this was stretching his already frayed limits. He watched the rain of rose petals with a twitching eye.  
  
Kanae rolled over from her spot on his couch and stared out the window. Her face flattened as she saw her husband's reaction.  
  
"Does it have to rain roses every time she does that with; I'm amusing, that Tenjou girl?"  
  
"No, but she does it anyway to taunt me. She does not seem to think that her 'revenge' is complete."  
  
"Whatever," Kanae sighed as she rolled back onto the couch. "I don't like how you obsess over her."  
  
"I'm sorry, but freeing her is the only way of becoming the prince I once was."  
  
Kanae just eyed him curiously. "You're a king now, why would you want to go back to being a prince?"  
  
"Princes have higher ideals."  
  
Kanae hummed a response as she stared out the window, losing herself in the sight of falling rose petals.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
As she lay there, thinking about her future, as she was prompted often to do these days, Anthy ran her hand lightly along Utena's spine. The summer months were hot and she didn't wear a top. Her fingers stopped on the usual place, the only place on Utena's body that could ever cause Anthy pain. The scar that remained from when Anthy had stabbed her. She sighed and continued her stroking  
  
Why did you forgive me? The person who betrayed you and hurt you the most. Did you know that it hurt me so very much to stab you, despite how much my brother had convinced me that you weren't my savior. It hurt me more than anything else I had ever done. And it hurt me so much because, even if I didn't think you were my savior I was so very much in love with you.  
  
She sighed again and moved to kiss the scar. Her lips were less than an inch away when she was scared half to death.  
  
"If you keep playing with that you're going to go blind."  
  
Anthy fell backwards and stared.  
  
"You're awake?!?"  
  
"Kinda hard to sleep with you rubbing me like that." Utena said rolling over. She traced her stomach scar, where the sword had come through.  
  
"I don't want you touching this scar again."  
  
"Why, does it bother you?"  
  
"No, it bothers you. Oh don't balk like that. I know that you feel guilty every time you touch it and think of that duel. Well, I don't want you thinking about it anymore. We got what we wanted when we went in there and I want that to be the only memory we have of it."  
  
"It can't be forgotten like that."  
  
"Yes it can, I don't you spending the rest of our lives looking at it and feeling bad. I knew what I was getting into when I went in there."  
  
"Utena." It was one word, but it was enough for Anthy to act finally. She moved again and embraced her engaged. They held each other tight, two lovers fighting back terrible memories.  
  
"You know, before the last duel I had told Juri-sempai that I didn't love you the same way that she loved Shiori-san. That was a lie I think."  
  
"Why only think?"  
  
"I don't think I could have held up as well if she did if you actually hated me."  
  
"I want to be married to you." The words were whispered into the darkness of the room, and they didn't even know who said it.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Keisuke was Utena's oldest and dearest friend. He had known Utena longer than anyone else in this town; save her aunt. If there was anyone Utena was going to come out to, he was the one she had better tell first.   
  
Keisuki stood behind the counter of the local ice cream shop, waiting for customers when Utena entered. He stared as she shuffled up to the counter, never quite making eye contact. She was nervous, he knew it. He figured that the best way to deal with a nervous Utena was simply to tease her.  
  
"Hey Jun, get another gallon of Double fudge out here. Utena just stepped in and we're going to be out in a few minutes." He called to the back as he earned a glare from Utena.  
  
"Keisuki you bastard!" she shrieked as she launched herself across the rest of the divide and bit into his shoulder. He screamed and tried to pry her off, while any onlookers stared on worriedly at the duo's odd if not already known behavior. When she finally detached from his body they were both giggling and Utena was in a mood to order. After getting it, they fell into some light conversation.  
  
"How ya been?"  
  
"S'okay, can't complain at all."  
  
"Well, there's a change."  
  
"Shut up!"  
  
"Make me."  
  
Chomp   
  
"Ow! Leggo o' my shoulder!"  
  
"You did say to make you."  
  
"I didn't think you were gonna Bite me!"  
  
"Serves you right, Keisuki bastard."  
  
"Jesus, where's that Himemiya girl? At least she could get you to calm down."  
  
Utena blushed at that, very uncomfortable with that line of thought. Thinking about how Anthy calmed her down led her to think about that night. Although it did lead to a nice segue.  
  
"Um, K-Keisuki, a-about Anthy." Utena stammered as her eyes found a particular patch of tile very interesting.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Well, she didn't come with me because I needed to talk to you alone."  
  
"I figured."  
  
"What? How did you know?"  
  
"You never come in here while it's my shift unless you have something to talk about."  
  
"Yeah, that is true, but this is kind of big."  
  
"How big we talking? New boyfriend big, or becoming a nun big?"  
  
"Um, kind of both. Both mean I'm not going to date another guy ever again."  
  
Keisuki's eyebrow shot up. He had a good idea where this conversation was going.  
  
"Uh huh. And does this have anything to do with what happened at the festival with Anthy?"  
  
Utena's head snapped up to Keisuki's face. Her face burned red as she considered how to approach this next part. She looked away at last, and steeled her will to give him this one last part.  
  
"Um, yeah. Keisuki, Anthy and me, we're kind of... together."  
  
Keisuki's eyebrow shot up again. "Oh?"  
  
"Yeah, what I mean by together is that ... Anthy-and-I-are-in-love." She muttered the last part and looked down. She waited for the blow to land.  
  
"Twenty four hours."  
  
"What?" She looked up worried.  
  
"You get twenty four hours of dignity left, then I get to tease you mercilessly. Until then, I'm happy for you and I hope you two are happy."  
  
Tears filled Utena's eyes and a great weight was lifted from her shoulder. She threw herself at him and hugged him tightly. "Thanks Kei."  
  
"Kei, what happened to Keisuki?"  
  
"Oh shut up. I was just nervous."  
  
"Why should you be nervous around me?"  
  
"I know; I shouldn't be nervous. You're the best Kei."  
  
Hearing this, Keisuki's hug turned into a noogie. "Of course I'm the best!"  
  
"Kei, leggo o' my head. Ow!"  
  
The other patrons of the restaurant sweat dropped watching them.  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
In Ohtori's drama department, three young ladies were preparing to put on a play for no one in particular. They danced, posed, and prepared to dispense the school's gossip.  
  
"Kashira, Kashira, Dozonai Kashira!''  
  
"The chairman is dead! The Chairman is dead! It's a tragedy!"  
  
"A travesty."  
  
"It's so very sad!"  
  
"What are we going to do?"  
  
"First we should hold a funeral."  
  
The scenery changed as they added fold up chairs and pretended to be people in a funeral parlor. One sat down and mock wept and the other stood behind the podium and delivered the eulogy.  
  
"The Chairman was a kind man, a good man, he; uh... What did the chairman do?"   
  
The "Widow" of the mock chairman looked up. "I don't know."  
  
"Kogai, Kogai, Kogai!" C-ko sidled up from the side and knocked A-ko off the podium to stand behind it. She wore a top hat and a fake mustache.  
  
"As the executor of Ohtori-sama's estate I can tell you what he has done." She announced in a deep falsetto. "He created this school and now leaves it in the hands of his beloved son-in-law."  
  
"Just how beloved even we wont get into," A-ko cracked. The girls all laughed for a handful of seconds and then stopped abruptly. The scenery changed all of a sudden as the chairs disappeared and the podium moved to the middle of the "stage". The three shadow girls stood at its bottom, wearing hats with press cards in them.  
  
"We will not take a press release from the new Chairman."  
  
Suddenly Akio's shadow joined the girls and stood behind the podium. He waited on their questions.  
  
"Mister Chairman, how do you feel about the death of your father in law? The students of Ohtori are eager to know." It was C-ko who asked.  
  
"I am very sad about it." Akio answered with mock sincerity. "He was like a father to me."  
  
"Mister Chairman, what do you plan to do with this school now that it is yours? The students of Ohtori are anxious to know." This time it was B-ko who asked.  
  
"I plan to follow in my predecessors footsteps and provide the students with the best education possible. I also intend to expand this school."  
  
"Mister Chairman, what size boxers do you wear? The students of Ohtori are desperate to know." This time it was A-ko's turn.  
  
"If you want we could meet in private and I could answer your question personally."  
  
"M-mister Chairman."  
  
"Just kidding."  
  
The group shared nervous laughter and Akio moved to get off the podium.  
  
"Thank you ladies. I must be going though. It's been a pleasure. Hopefully we can share pleasure again sometime." Akio exited as the girls froze. After a solid minute they animated themselves again.  
  
"We should go."  
  
"Yes we should."  
  
"D-do you think he was serious about what he said?"  
  
"I don't know, but I wouldn't put it past the Chairman or his wife."  
  
"Kashira, Kashira, Dozonai Kashira!"  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
She stood in the dark of the room, paranoid. Her ears strained to hear the intruder she knew was there. Her eyed scanned the room quickly, looking for any sign of entrance or change, but there was none. She should have known there wouldn't be. This thief hadn't come for any of her physical property. No, they were there for her sanity, and she would be damned if she let them have it. She flicked the light on and crossed the room, making her way to the window. The apartment needed air, she needed air; or else she was going to go batty.  
  
She stood at the window and watched the traffic of students below her. None of them traveled alone; none of them had to. She always traveled alone; she didn't want anyone to see her like she really was. 'She' had once told her that she shouln't hide like this; that she should let everyone see her weakness. 'She' always said things like that though. She always took it as just another attempt to tear away another portion of her soul. Here in her room she rested her forehead against the glass and let her weakness show. She felt the tears come immediately, tears of sadness, of bitterness, of loneliness.  
  
A pair of arms encircled her from beind. They were strong arms and she felt secure in them, like her problems would go away if she just stayed like this. The tears halted for a second and she relaxed. Her own arms came up and grasped for the arms holding her, willing them to stay forever; even though she knew they wouldn't.   
  
"Don't worry, Juri."  
  
The whispered voice carried directly into her ear, like it was whispered right next to her. Her eyes snapped open and her pupils dilated. She spun around to face her intruder. There was no one there, there never had been.  
  
"Luka!"  
  
Juri was frantic. He had been there, but he was dead. He was gone, and the only person who had really loved her was gone forever. Shadows obscured her eyes and she slid to the ground. The only sound in the room was her sobbing.  
  
"Luka."  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Utena and Anthy were walking home from the post office. Utena was reading a letter she had just gotten to Anthy.  
  
"It says here that my Auntie is coming home from her trip soon. You get to meet her and Sakura then." The prince said as she walked along.  
  
"Oh, how lovely! I really want to see the woman who raised you Utena-otto." Anthy smiled happily even as Utena groaned at the new formality.  
  
"Anthy, do ya gotta call me that. I don't call you wife, do I?"  
  
"But I like calling you that. It tells the other people around us that you are mine and to keep their hands off." Anthy smiled possessively and wrapped her arm around Utena's. The prince sighed her defeat and continued walking.  
  
There was a letter sitting at the bottom of the pile in a gold envelope. Utena, curious at what was wrapped in such a fancy envelope. Slitting the top, she felt a chill run up her spine and the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She unfolded the paper and then felt her knees give out as a wave of terror passed through her body. The paper that fell from her hands read as follows.  
  
You have been cordially invited to attend the coming school year at Ohtori Academy's Shirobara island campus. You have already been registered for classes and uniforms will be delivered shortly. Any attempt to withdraw from registration will not be taken lightly. We look forward to seeing you in the coming school year.  
  
Anthy stopped when she noticed that Utena wasn't beside her anymore. She turned to Utena who was quivering where she knelt. She joined Utena in her position on the floor. She plucked the note out of Utena's slack grasp as the prince began to speak. "Hime; what's going on here?" Utena asked as she quivered.  
  
"He's not allowed to go beyond the confines of the end of the world and that school."  
  
"Then what's he doing building a new school?"  
  
"Expanding his horizons."  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
The little ninja stalked to office with the prowess of a shadow. The paperwork he was looking for was here; it had to be. He moved out of the shadows along the wall and maneuvered his way through the laser web around the telescope. This office had some of the best security equipment on the planet and any normal person would have been caught and locked away by now, or worse.   
  
This was too easy.  
  
He picked to lock on the desk and pulled out the files that he knew were there. Pulling out his camera, he took a few snapshots of the data inside. Then he made his way out, using the same route he took to get in. He waited until he was a good mile from the campus before he allowed himself to rest. He flopped against the nearest hard surface and pulled his mask off. His ears billowed gratefully in the breeze. He closed his eyes and smiled. It had been a productive night and his mistress would be pleased. At that moment the greatest of all the shape shifters and dark familiars was happy and he felt the need to let the rest of the forest know.  
  
"Chu Chu!"  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Preview of Next Story:   
  
Utena: Well, it seem's that Akio-san has decided to come for us. But what about the other duelists. What happened to them? We get to find out the fates of Juri, Touga, Sayonji, and Miki in the next episode of Revolutionary Girl Utena: Rose of Revolution. The Decision of Damned Souls; Re-Enter the Duelists!  
  
Anthy: It's the Absolute Destiny Apocolypse!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Utena, the duelists, the school or the premise. I do own the new duelists, but I don't have them copyrighted so take them as you please. Just tell me where you put them so I can read it ^__^. 


	2. A Decision of Damned Souls

Music is defined in Webster's Dictionary as the Science or Art of incorporating pleasing, expressive, or intelligible combinations of vocal or instrumental into a combination having definite structure and continuity. All things that one Kaoru Miki held fast to. He was a firm believer in order and structure. His sister on the other hand was not known for structure or definite anything; having been known for living on a whim. So, the idea of Miki teaching his sister how to play music was a site to behold. What was even more amazing to watch was that she actually managed to follow along and show progress.  
  
Let it never be said that miracles cannot happen  
  
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Shoujo Kakumei Utena: Kakumei no Bara  
  
The Decision of Damned Souls; Re-Enter the Duelists!  
  
Arisagawa Juri was known as many things, a few of which can't be mentioned for proprieties sake. However, the most popular title for her was "The Panther." So dubbed because of her dangerous strength and beauty. The members of the fencing club were hard pressed to ever remember a time where she showed weakness. Of course, when they did remember, the same name always came up.  
  
"Shiori"  
  
Of course, that name was not even dared to be spoken in the presence of the panther herself for fear for health and safety. For if you did, destiny called you to the presence of Juri during practice and she was rarely gentle with those who dared utter the condemned name.  
  
"It's said she even made a girl cry one time."  
  
Of late though, the members noticed a definite change in their captain. A ghost of a smile on her usually hard face. A softer voice when scolding a fencer on their technique. In other words, something had taken the edge off of the panther, and that scared the students of Ohtori more than even her icy glare could.  
  
Today's practice was not unlike many others. Juri stood on the field waiting as opponent after opponent came up to challenge her, only to either be disarmed or to have the tip of her blade effortlessly placed at their chest.  
  
"Next!"  
  
The next fencer to come up came and took up their stance. Juri noted how calm she was, as if this one did not know her reputation. She would have to change that. She bowed and prepared to strike. The whistle chimed and she struck. Her first strike was deflected and her opponent countered with a strike of her own. Juri stopped it only inches from her chest protector and tried again. Whoever this was, they did know what they were doing and that fact elated Juri like a drug. Of course, she still had a reputation to keep, so the first chance she saw she struck. Juri not only disarmed her opponent when her grip was slack, but presented to tip of her sword to her facemask. Drawing back smugly; Juri removed her facemask and prompted her opponent to do the same. When the facemask was removed, the beaming face of Takeutski Shiori was presented to her amazed clubmates.  
  
"Kind of like pinning a butterfly to a board, ne Juri-san"  
  
"Yeah, kinda. You're form is good, but you need to work on how you hold your sword."  
  
Shiori's eyebrow shot up at that and she smiled seductively at Juri. Juri for her part tried to ignore how she tried to turn it into an innuendo and continued her advice.  
  
"Come back after classes and we'll work on it."  
  
"Alright, I'll come back later and you can help me learn how to hold my sword."  
  
Juri merely smirked and whapped Shiori in her padded butt with her sword as she passes. The fencing club had never been more terrified in their lives.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Kyouchi Sayonji sat in the kendo room, waiting. He was not known for his patience, but for this one student he would wait forever. His practice sword was bouncing impatiently on his shoulder, the only sign of how long he had actually been waiting. In truth it had only been minutes. However, considering how impatient Sayonji was, that was a stretch to impress.  
  
Luckily, it was only a few more seconds before one Shinohara Wakaba came stumbling in, out of breath and red faced. She had obviously been running to make it.  
  
"Sorry Sayonji-sempai." She managed to wheeze out.  
  
"Must you actually run from the other side of the campus just to get here?" Sayonji calmly retorted. "I would have waited a little longer." Sayonji was also not known for being kind.  
  
"I didn't want you to wait for very long. I know how much of a stretch it is for you to wait as long as you already do." Wakaba bowed at the door and moved to get her practice sword from the wall. "I don't want to seem ungrateful for your taking the time out to actually teach me kendo."  
  
"It is no trouble, you helped me out when I needed it. Oh yes, and before you get your sword, please come here."  
  
Wakaba complied slowly; she was not sure what he was up to. He was known for doing odd things at odd times. He was also known for being a little mad at times.   
  
Did she detect a faint blush on his cheeks?   
  
She was very confused when he presented a piece of tissue paper to her. Curiosity got the better of her though and she reached for it.  
  
"Is this for me?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Her fingers parted the paper and her breath stopped. Inside was a pair of wooden hairclips, shaped like leaves. They were painted a green very similar to Sayonji's hair.  
  
"Um, I really wanted to replace the one I gave away. I mean it was kind of cruel to give it to the bride, but I just needed-" Sayonji was blathering.  
  
"They're beautiful." Wakaba interrupted him. Her smile was beautiful. "Thank you Sayonji-sempai." She kissed him on the cheek and backed away. His blush deepened and he cleared his throat.  
  
"Alright, enough of that. Get ready; we've got a lot of ground to cover today."  
  
Wakaba complied readily. Sayonji stood and readied for a swing. His smile was from ear to ear.  
  
She liked them!  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Kiryuu Touga sat on one end of the table listening intently to everything his client had to say. Listening was essential to his success, not only in closing this deal, but also in later success. Right now he was staring down a stunning blond in her mid twenties. She was a V.P. for an electronics firm that wanted a contract with his father's corporation. His father sent him, in the hopes that he would manage to snare her.  
  
"And you see, our company can increase your companies efficiency without sacrificing more money and less resources. I believe a joint venture between Kiryuu Corporation and Tatewaki electronics would be... profitable for the both of us." She added the last part with a slight lilt in her voice and a suggestive eyebrow raise. She was his.  
  
"Indeed, you have impressed me Ai-san. I have the papers in my car. Let's get out of here so we can sign them and then the rest of the evening is ours."  
  
"Indeed Kiryuu-san."  
  
"Please, call me Touga."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
While Touga was preparing to partake of a meal of a different sort, Nanami was not enjoying such luck in her love life. She sat in a yellow sweatshirt and black slacks behind her computer and typed furiously.  
  
"What, you can't break up with me! The beautiful Nanami will not be dumped by some pathetic cyber geek! Don't get offline; I'm not done with you! Don't, don't...YAROU!"  
  
At last, she slumped over in defeat. Her head impacted the screen and her expression held a bleakness that would have paralyzed even the most cheery of people.  
  
"I really am pathetic. This is the lowest I've ever been."  
  
"Now, now, don't worry Nanami-sama. You're not pathetic. At least I don't think so." Tsuwabuki Mitsuru said from his spot at the other end of her room. He was organizing her schedule for the upcoming week.  
  
"Sorry to tell you this Tsuwabuki, but you're the only one. Oh how the mighty have fallen."  
  
"Tsuwabuki was at her side instantly, patting her on the back consolingly. They heard the sound of doors slamming as "friend" after "friend" signed off, leaving Nanami more and more alone. Until they heard the sound of someone signing on. Nanami looked up to her list to see a name she didn't recognize appear. It was only one for a few seconds. It left a single message and then signed off.  
  
(( Do not worry. All is not lost. The mighty can rise again and claim glory. Be warned, peril awaits, but it will give you greater power than you had before. Watch your mail. ))  
  
"Nanami-sama, who's Rose-scented Witch?"  
  
"I have no clue."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Juri opened her locker and spied around quickly to make sure that no one else was around to look at the scene inside. While on the outside she kept a calm and orderly manner, her locker showed a little of the person she really was. The strewn clothes gave the impression of a small tropical tornado having centralized in the minute space of her locker. The only thing the clutter hadn't touched was a small shrine in the back. Two things lay inside. One small broken locket with the chain dangling, and one picture of an attractive threesome.   
  
Her fingers smoothed over the images of Luka and Shiori. One man who had loved her even though she never could love him; and one girl whom she used to love. Her mind glossed over the way that felt in her mind. Her 'used' to love her. She didn't love Shiori. She didn't register the fact that she was still staring at Shiori's image with a wistful expression. In fact, she didn't register much, that was until someone decided to clear their throat behind her. The fencer jerked upright and turned to find someone staring at her kind of strangely. It was a rather unassuming looking girl from one of the lower classes.   
  
Probably one of Tenjou's peers.   
  
She quicly covered the locker with the bulk of her body and turned to face the girl who was smiling at her with an almost smug look.  
  
"Yes, what can I help you with?" Juri asked with slightly red cheeks. The girl giggled lightly and waved her off.  
  
"No, nothing like that sempai. In fact I'm here to help you."  
  
"What?" This was of course the most intelligent answer that Juri could give at this point.  
  
"I'm here to help you, you've been looking inside of your locker for a very long time." She said as she picked up a stray piece of undergarment and examined it front and back; personally wondering how the fencer could even stand up straight with it on. "You're going to be late for your next class."  
  
"Oh." Was Juri's next intelligent reply.  
  
"Of course since I'm in such a generous mood, I think I'm going to offer to take care of your little problem with organizing your locker."  
  
"Erm, no thank you. I really don't need the help, besides I really don't think I can afford to pay you for taking the time out; or the trouble."  
  
"It's no problem, really. As for a payment..." She looked up at Juri through wire rimmed glasses and an eyebrow ring. "I'm sure the legindary Arisagawa Juri-sempai could think of some way to pay me back. At least that's what Shiori tells me."  
  
Juri stiffened and her eyes narrowed. "Shiori told you?" She watched the girl carefully fold the piece of lingerie and shoved her way past into the locker where she began folding other things and generally organizing things. "Yes, she said that were the best friend a girl oculd have while she was going through a very difficult time in her life. Also said that she gave you a rather difficult time as well." This time she got a patented Juri-eyebrow raise.  
  
Juri was starting to feel strange, almost comfortable with this girl messing with her locker. Something she would never have forgiven before. She didn't even realize that she had been changing back into her normal uniform the entire time she had been talking. A long time ago, certian runmors had prompted her change on her own without the accusing stares or worried glances of the other girls. However, she was fully aware of this new girl reaching for the little shrine in back. Her hand caught the smaller one before her fingers sullied the sacred space of her shrine.  
  
"You seem awfully protective of a silly picture and a broken locket. Sentimental perhaps?"  
  
"Perhaps." Juri replied coldly; a little of the panther coming through at just the right time. The strange girls eyes widened for a second and then the shocked look faded. She smiled and released her hand from the grip.  
  
"Alright, I know when to catch a hint. I'm done here anyway. I'll see you around Sempai."  
  
"W-wait! What's your name?"  
  
"Hi-mits-su-des." Was the last thing she heard before the door closed behind the girl, leaving a very confused Juri behind.   
  
(Note: Himitsu des is japanese for "a secret" Commonly used by Xellos from Slayers when he says "Sore Wa... Himitsu des" or "That is... a secret.")  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
As Juri exited the fencing room, her brain was still spinning from the strange encounter with the odd girl. She mused over the girls behavior, and how familiar she was with Juri. It was enough to question how well her reputation was holding up these days.  
  
Juri was so absorbed in her private reverie that she almost missed the scene that was playing out... almost. Juri's keen senses caught sight of Kaoru Kozue stalking the halls like the wild animal she was. Then one of the boys she frequently was seen with caught up to her and pressed her against the wall.  
  
"Hey babe, long times no see. I've missed you. What's say we ditch the rest of the day and go on a 'date'"?  
  
"Sorry, no."  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"I'm sorry you obviously didn't get the memo." Kozue said, ripping her hands away from him. We're through."  
  
"What do you mean we're through?"  
  
"Poor boy, it must be tough living without a brain like that. I mean that I'm done with you, all of you. You and your friends. I only went out with you to fulfill a goal. Now that it's done I don't want to see you anymore. But it was fun while it lasted, thanks."  
  
"Fun... a goal... done. Who do you think you are? You were using us like toys. You have no right!"  
  
At this point, a scene was forming as students came out to watch the altercation. Juri just watched and waited. If all went well, she would not be needed here, but....  
  
"We ain't toys to be played with! Especially not by some dumb bitch slut like you!" He raised his hand to slap her unimpressed face. She seemed as if his words meant nothing to her. Then again with Kozue, they just might have. Juri cursed her luck and made her move.  
  
For herself, Kozue couldn't figure out why they all got so emotional when she told them they were through. It's not like she was the only girl in school who'd put out for them. It wasn't her fault that she was exceptionally good at it; or that she took better care of her body than some. She hated the fact that it always ended the same way. She was wondering how much make up it would take to conceal this. She sighed and closed her eyes for the blow. It didn't come. She opened them again to see Juri pull him off of her, his arm bent behind his back. She slammed him against the wall and leaned in close. She whispered something in his ear that she couldn't hear if she even bothered to listen in. He was released and pealed out across the hall, as far away as he could get. She extricated herself from the wall and addressed the panther.  
  
"I suppose I should be grateful."  
  
"I suppose you should try to be more careful when breaking up. I may not be here next time."  
  
"I'm not worried, the pain only lasts for a few minutes and then I'm one step closer to being done."  
  
"Done what?"  
  
"Freeing myself for him." Kozue's voice sounded soft and pained as she said it.  
  
"For who." Juri was curious. Kozue was known for going through boys quickly. A fact that was no small source of pain for Miki. Speaking of Miki, he chose that moment to burst through the crowd and run up to Kozue.  
  
"Kozue, are you all right?"  
  
"I'm fine Onii-sama." There was softness in Kozue voice and face. Juri's eyebrow piqued at this. Miki's expression was more concerned than normal and Kozue was being nice. "Aoba tried to reinforce why I should be in a relationship with him with his fists."  
  
Odd  
  
"What; He tried what?" Miki was yelling. His face shot towards the crowd, looking for the perpetrator. Was it just Juri's imagination or did she just see a wild wolf flash over his features for a second. His rage quelled just as quickly when Kozue laid a hand on his arm.  
  
Odder  
  
"Don't worry Miki-onii-sama, Juri sempai intimidated him enough for the both of you. She even roughed him up a bit for you." Her eyes danced with amusement as she regarded Juri. Miki turned to Juri, just noticing her.  
  
"Juri-sempai was here? Thank goodness. Thank you Juri-sempai. You have no idea what this means to me."  
  
"No problem, but you should take care of your sister." Juri answered soberly. She knew of Kozue's ability for getting into trouble  
  
"I fully intend to." He answered with all sincerity. His face a mask of determination. Kozue blushed behind him...  
  
...Kozue blushed?  
  
Oddest  
  
They shared a look and Juri nodded. The crowd began to disperse and Juri disappeared into it. She didn't notice the looks and touched the twins shared as they checked Kozue over; and if she did, she did a very good job of not showing it.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Akio sat behind his desk looking over some papers. On top of the responsibilities he had before, he now had to handle business transactions that had to deal with the school. The construction was starting to run over budget and the football club needed new uniforms. He was beginning to feel overwhelmed. He ran his hands through his hair and sighed. Kanae came up behind him and started massaging his shoulders.  
  
"Poor Akio-sama, You have no more time to yourself. Maybe you need help."  
  
"I do need help, but I also need someone I can trust. People like that are rare these days."  
  
"Maybe I could be of assistance then," a new voice chimed in from the door. The outline of a rather voluptuous woman stood in the doorway. Akio's interest piqued.  
  
"I thought you'd fallen off the face of the earth."  
  
"I did, right into the ends of the earth."  
  
"Don't be sarcastic, it doesn't suit you."  
  
Kanae was confused; the way they spoke was very familiar. She thought she knew all of Akio's contacts and lovers. She licked her lips and grinned evilly. She knew Akio's lovers very well. She wanted to thank him then for opening her eyes to the joy of seduction. But first to address the matter at hand. The other things could wait.  
  
"Akio-sama, who is this woman? I've never met her before."  
  
"Of course you didn't Kanae dear. This is my sister"  
  
"Quite, dear brother." The newcomer intruded. She took a few steps in, but her features were still unreadable  
  
"I thought Anthy was your only sibling Akio-sama."  
  
"Apparently we were wrong."  
  
"Can you at least tell me her name?"  
  
"I would if I knew it. If you would."  
  
"I'm sorry brother. The names Ohtori Kami"  
  
"Oh..."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Miki leaned against a wall in his room and let out the breath he had been holding since before he heard of the altercation. His shoulders slumped and he had to lean against the wall. Kozue came up behind him and wrapped her arms around him.  
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you."  
  
"It's not your fault."  
  
"Yes it is! If I hadn't of been like that I wouldn't have had to put you through this."  
  
"You're the one they hit."  
  
"But you're the one who's tarnished every time you jump in there to help me!"  
  
"Like I said before, it's not your fault; I would have worried about you anyway. And don't worry about tarnishing me. Every time I do, you become a little cleaner. Maybe im the end we'll finally be a matching pair."  
  
Kozue laughed as she cried into the back of his uniform jacket. She felt him shift until he was facing her. He buried his face in her hair and sighed.  
  
"You do realize I'm a wild animal. I will probably bite you."  
  
"Even a tame animal knows how to protect itself. Besides, I might just like it."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Peace was always a welcome change to the duelists. The chance to return to their lives was just what they needed. Of course, they knew it couldn't last, and that thought haunted them every day. Then the letters came...  
  
Wakaba was walking home. Sayonji's hairclip held in her hair. She hummed happily to herself. To get to her dorm she had to pass the rose garden. Then it caught her eye. Just sticking out from the brush was a single brown rose. She almost ignored it as well, thinking it was just another dead rose; but something compelled her to look closer. Then she realized that the rose wasn't dead, but a beautiful brown bloom. It was the same color as her hair. She felt a powerful urge to pick the flower. As if doing it would fulfill some part of her destiny. She did so and stood up to take a closer look in the light. That's when she saw the dewdrop fall. It fell right into her outstretched hand.  
  
When did I go to catch it?  
  
When she looked down, there was not water in her hand, but a beautiful rose signet ring. Upon closer inspection though, she noticed a variation. Instead of the usual red stone, there was a delicate brown stone coloring it.  
  
"What... is... this?"  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Akio sat back in his office and luxuriated. With his sister around, he had time for so many new things. He couldn't even remember the last time he had gotten a haircut. As he relaxed and let the strands fall, he looked across the room to where Kami leaned against the telescope. She was examining it.  
  
"It's an incredible piece of technology isn't it?" He purred from his seat.  
  
"Quite." She responded enthusiastically. "And you say it can make anything as real as the real thing."  
  
"In this world, more."  
  
Silence followed for a few minutes as Kami energetically zipped around the telescope prodding and poking around to examine it.  
  
"I hear that you recently invited Shinohara Wakaba-san into the duels."  
  
"Yes, I'm sorry if I'm overstepping my bounds brother, but I felt that she would be a welcome attachment to the game."  
  
"I approve, don't worry. However, I was wondering. Since my sister left, we do have an opening for a prize to be won. Have you found a suitable replacement?"  
  
"There is no need for a bride anymore brother. As you saw from the end of the last duels, the role of the rose bride is negated. Any person who knows of the game can duplicate her role. I figured on a more suitable prize for the victor."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"You'll see, now just relax brother. Or else you might make that darling wife of yours slip." Kami said, leering at Kanae. As Akio leaned back and reveled in the sensations, Kami merely took to the elevator.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Anthy and Utena were curled up on the couch watching television. It was Saturday morning and Anthy had a growing anime addiction to feed. They giggle at a particularly amusing antic and relaxed. Well, Anthy relaxed while Utena angst's behind her. She buried her face in the dark princesses hair. Anthy sighed, but contented and concerned  
  
"What is it Utena-otto?"  
  
"Hime, I don't think I can do this. I can't take his chasing me."  
  
"We could just not enroll in the school."  
  
"No, that's not an option. We've been forcibly enrolled, we even have schedules set up for us."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Yeah. Anthy, I'm afraid. It was almost too much last time, and that was before I really had this much to lose. Before, we weren't together like this. I mean, we were engaged, but I was still looking for my prince and couldn't even fathom being with another girl. Now I don't want to go and risk losing you."  
  
"You won't, I'm not a prize to be won anymore. I have been properly wed and now belong to my husband." Anthy said as she snuggled back further.  
  
"I can't do this alone."  
  
"You wont have to."  
  
"W-what."  
  
"I have contacted some friends. Don't worry, you wont have to do this alone."  
  
Utena sighed and inhaled the rosy scent of Anthy. She had at least these moments for peace, and she would cherish them.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
On five lockers, in Ohtori academy, a letter was taped. Each letter was cased in a golden envelope waiting. The envelope was not meant for the eyes of any but the chosen few. On each one was written a single name.  
  
Shirobara no Hanayami.  
  
And the letters waited. While two lovers enjoyed the simple joy of Saturday mornings.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Preview of Next Episode:   
  
Utena: W-w-w-w-w-what the! My aunt is back from vacation. But how does she know Anthy. What do you mean my father was a duelist? He left What behind? And why does Auntie Yurika keep giggling like that.  
  
Anthy: Maybe we should just wait and see.  
  
Utena: Oy, my head hurts now.  
  
Anthy: Next time on Shoujo Kakumei Utena: Rose of Revolution. Running interference, my aunt Yurika. Be sure to watch. It's the Absolute Destiny Apocalypse.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Utena, the duelists, the school or the premise. I do own the new duelists, but I don't have them copyrighted so take them as you please. Just tell me where you put them so I can read it ^__^.  
  
Note: Chu-chu will be returning to Anthy next episode. Also, yes Wakaba is a duelist, but she wont be as disillusioned as the others. Her new breed of ring does mean something, but I'm not telling just yet. There are going to be three types of rings. The classic rose signet will still be around, but their numbers will start to dwindle. The duelists' personal rings, which always come in their color. And a new gold ring; that one I'll leave you guessing with. 


	3. Running Interferance My Aunt Yurika

Anthy crouched behind the couch, waiting anxiously. She watched as Utena stumbled into the room, the blindfold she had on only made it that much harder.  
  
"Okay, when I said I could find you with my eyes closed, I didn't think that you'd actually take me seriously."  
  
Anthy didn't say anything, she just giggled from where she crouched. Utena stumbled around, feeling the walls for a soft protrusion.  
  
"C'mon I know you're in here." Utena was getting frustrated. She had been trying to find Anthy for an hour, she had a vague feeling that she was in the room, a sense that she hadn't realized she had until Anthy returned to her. It was a sense just between Anthy and herself. Then she caught a whiff of roses and everything clicked.  
  
Anthy couldn't believe what she was seeing. She had been watching Utena stumble about; an adorable site if you ever asked her, when Utena merely stopped and turned right at her. Anthy's eyes bugged out and she made to get out from behind the couch. Unfortunately, Utena was waiting there for her; staring at her from behind the blindfold.  
  
Her speed is definitely increasing.  
  
"Told you I could do it." Utena giggled from where she crouched. She pulled the blindfold off and addressed her bride.  
  
"I knew you could do it, ouji-sama." Anthy purred from her position. Instead of moving forward, she began leaning backwards, her eye offering things that were really not meant to be done behind a couch.  
  
Like Utena really cared where it was done.  
  
They were almost down to their undergarments; if Anthy were wearing any, when the door opened. Utena panicked and looked up. There was only one other person who had a key to their apartment.  
  
Tenjou Yurika was tired. She had been up for hours on the plane ride home. Sakura wasn't even fully conscious. All she wanted to do was crawl into bed and not wake up until she was damn ready to. She trudged into the apartment to see something she had not expected to. It was her niece; her innocent little Utena-chan, in a rather compromising position with another girl. An attractive young girl, but a girl nonetheless.  
  
"Hey Auntie."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Shoujo Kakumei Utena: Kakumei no Bara  
  
Running Interference; My Aunt Yurika  
  
Utena sat at the table, a cup of tea in her hand. She kept wringing her hands around it, trying to let the heat ease her nervousness. For all her hand wringing, she might as well have been stretching. Yurika sat at the other end of the table, wringing her hands around her teacup. Anthy watched from the doorway, seeing just how much the aunt resembled her husband. She wistfully sipped her rose tea and watched some more.  
  
"Auntie."  
  
"Yes Utena."  
  
"Um, sorry you had to walk in on that last night."  
  
"So am I actually."  
  
They stayed like that for long moments, just kind of staring and drinking. Yurika looked into her drink, hoping to figure out what to say in it.  
  
"So, do you love her?"  
  
"What."  
  
"Do you love her? It's kind of a simple question. She's obviously been staying here a while. She redecorated the bathroom."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
They each sat there, in the old student council room. They sat apart from each other, sparing glances at the envelopes every now and again. No one had said anything for the past few minutes. The last sound had been Miki coughing, resulting in a sharp turn of heads in his direction. That had been five minutes ago and they returned to their stupor. Finally when they thought the silence would strangle them, a saint intervened.  
  
"Um, hello; is anyone in here? I heard that people who got gold envelopes would be meeting here." Wakaba wandered into the room looking around. Her eyes snagged on Sayonji. "Sayonji-sama!" she squeaked out before flinging herself at him. For his part, he let out a rather goofy grin before returning to his usual self and glaring at the other duelists, daring them to say anything. Nanami, Juri and Miki didn't need to say anything; they just sat there and giggled at him; which only provoked the man further towards violence. Finally Wakaba stepped away.  
  
"So, um what's going on here? I though the duels were over." Wakaba received several shocked stares. Miki's eyes were huge.  
  
"Y-you remember?"  
  
"Yeah, I was a duelist too for a while there." Wakaba answered matter-of-factly. She lifted her hand to show her new ring. I know I wasn't much of a fighter, but Sayonji-sama's been teaching me kendo."  
  
"I'll bet he has," was all Juri could mutter from her corner. Miki, being the only one within hearing distance burst into giggles.  
  
"Anyway!" Nanami burst from her corner; we're not here to discuss what she knows and doesn't know. She obviously has a ring. A very odd looking ring, but a ring none the less. That means she qualifies to be a part of this meeting. The point of which was to figure out who sent these letters, since Sekai no Hate didn't."  
  
"Who?" Wakaba asked  
  
"Sekai no Hate; he was the last person to officiate over the duels. He's better known here as Akio-san." It was Juri who stated it bluntly at Wakaba.  
  
"Ohtori-sama was the head of the duels?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
"Why."  
  
"That, you shall find out in time. As for the question of who sent that letters, I can answer that right now. I did."  
  
The woman they turned to see was no one they knew. She slightly resembled Anthy and the Chairman; with dark skin and an odd beauty about her. However; she has straight hair, tied in a bun with it colored an odd shade of purplish white. Miki and Nanami seemed to be the only ones affected. Sayonji was the first to speak  
  
"How, we were not successful in retrieving the power of revolutions. Oh yes, and who are you?"  
  
"For now, you may refer to me as Kami. As for how you can help, it's rather simple; you survived. Everything else will be revealed in time. Now listen carefully; I'm not a person to repeat myself"  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
The next day Yurika, Utena, Anthy and Sakura were shopping for some things to decorate Utena & Anthy's room with. Or at least it had started out that way. As the bags slowly increased in number, they began to realize that it was actually a chance for Yurika to give her credit cards some exercise.   
  
"I know I shouldn't but there are just so many cute outfits out there."  
  
"Who's complaining Auntie?" It was Utena who piped up, holding her begs. Several new outfits waited for her to play with. She needed some outfits to fit her new role. If she was indeed the prince she wanted to look the part. Even Anthy smiled at her own bags. It had been a while that she received new clothes without any strings attached. Sakura walked slowly next to Anthy, staring at her the whole time. Since she had come home, she hadn't said a word to the dark princess. Anthy resolved herself to change that and try talking to the child as soon as they got home.  
  
As they were passing a coffee shop, and stopped dead in her tracks. The others noted her absence a few minutes later. Utena backtracked to her "wife."  
  
"Hime, what's up? Are you okay?" Utena's face crept with concern before a smile started growing on Anthy's face until she looked downright elated.  
  
"Hold on Utena-otto, I'll be right back."  
  
Having said that Anthy disappeared into the coffee shop, leaving a very confused Utena there. A few moments later, Anthy reappeared holding a small bundle of fur. Utena recognized it immediately.  
  
"Chu-chu!" Utena yelled happily. The tiny monkey mouse stopped munching on whatever it had this time to see Utena. Food long forgotten, it launched itself at her happily.  
  
"Anthy where was he? How come I haven't seen him for so long...Why didn't I remember him either for that matter? I completely forgot about him. Ara! I'm so sorry Chu-chu." Chu-chu merely waved her off, pointing to a rather amused Anthy. She had enjoyed watching them play. It filled her with warmth that she hadn't felt in a long time.  
  
"Don't worry Utena-otto, he wanted you to forget about him; at least for a little while. I had him take care of a few things 'elsewhere,' so I figured I'd erase your memory of him for a while. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I didn't want you worrying about him."  
  
"How can I not, look at him, he's so small, and how can he take care of himself?"  
  
Anthy merely smirked at her. She looked own and snapped her fingers. Opening her hand she held still and waited. Chu-chu instantly jumped out of Utena's hand. In the air she noted how he changed from an odd monkey mouse creature into something else. Utena couldn't place it; she had never seen anything else like it before. It landed on her palm confidently. A small mass of black, with odd luminescent eyes. Then Anthy opened her eyes to show a similar luminescence. It frightened her.  
  
"This is what Chu-chu really looks like. Do you understand why I have total confidence in his ability to take care of himself now?" Utena nodded dumbly. On that note Anthy turned back to her normal self, giving Utena her enigmatic smile, she started scratching the creature under its "chin" and giggling. "It's cute, don't you think?"  
  
Yurika and Sakura came running up that moment to see what was taking Utena so long. By now Chu-chu was back to "normal" and munching noisily on a cookie.  
  
"Utena, what's taking you so long to find Anthy? Oh there you two are... What the hell is that?"  
  
"It's my friend Chu-chu. Cute isn't he?"  
  
"Very, in a disturbing kind of way."  
  
Anthy merely stared at Yurika flatly. Thinking up obscenities not heard in the human language in many a century. Before any of them had a chance to really say anything else, Yurika was zipping towards another store. She had seen the cutest pants suit and wanted it bad.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
By the time Juri got to her room, she was tired, sore and baffled at how she was going to pack for the trip ahead. The voices in the back of her mind were nagging her again about her lack of cleaning ability. She was so exhausted she almost missed seeing her mystery girl sitting in front of her room, back against the door. Apparently, she had fallen asleep waiting. A smile quirked Juri's face and she nudged the girl with her foot.  
  
Juri moved to get her key out from underneath the doormat, but quickly realized that said key sat under the girl's rear. She gulped for a second and steeling her arguments to defend her virtue, Juri reached under anyway. The apparently sleeping girls hand gripped her arm, stopping her. She watched the girl's pierced eyebrow quirk up and a hand reached into the other girl's cleavage, luckily it wasn't one of her own. Juri's room key came from the small valley and her eyes opened at last, watching the fencer.  
  
"You should clean your room more often. I didn't even want to wait in there."  
  
Juri gave her a whithering look and proceeded to stand. Unlocking the door and opening it in one swift motion, Juri sent her mysterious guest tumbling into her room. What Juri saw next would haunt her to the end of her days. Her room was clean, sparkling even. Her eyes dilated at the sight of such cleanliness emanating from her room. She turned back to the girl with a stunned look on her face.  
  
"I didn't want to wait in there, so I figured I clean up and then wait for you outside."  
  
Juri turned back to view her room. There were not words to describe how she felt at that moment. Turning back to her still unnamed companion, she asked her the two things she had been dying to know since she met her. "How….Why?"   
  
"I did it because it is my duty form now on. As for who I am, my name is Sakaya; I'm your Rose Bride.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Inside the store, they each gathered around the counter as Yurika made her purchase. As she pulled out another credit card, a small picture fell out of her wallet. Before she could even register it, Utena had already zipped down to pick it up. Before she gave it back, she took a look...  
  
...and nearly hit the floor...  
  
...There in the picture were her parents, looking like normal teenagers. Normal teenagers except for the fact that they were both wearing the Ohtori Academy's duelist's uniforms.  
  
Anthy saw Utena's reaction and moved to catch her. She took the picture from Utena and looked at it. Upon seeing it, her face hardened and she turned to Yurika.  
  
"Yurika-san-"  
  
"Call me Auntie."  
  
"I'm sorry, Auntie; we have to go home right now."  
  
"Why is that dear, I'm just getting warmed up."   
  
"Take a look at your niece."  
  
Yurika turned her head to address Utena only to see that the girl had withdrawn into herself. Her face was a glazed mask. She then saw the photo that had fallen out of Utena's hand. Looking at it, a revelation occurred.  
  
"Sigh; apparently, it's time for me to explain a few things about her parents to my dear niece."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
He sat there staring at the envelope in his hand. What did it matter to him if the damnable games had started again? He was out, and that was all that mattered. Sekai no Hate said that he didn't send those letters and that he didn't want the others to join. They had proven useless and weak; held back by the chains. Puppets tangled in their strings. Of course, Tenjou had untangled them, but according to the chairman, they could just as easily get tangled in new ones. However, it was no longer his concern, he had graduated. So why did he care, anyway?  
  
"Damn that girl and her infectious chivalry."  
  
He stared at his bed companion. Aino-san was a beautiful woman; but he had known many beautiful women in his life. Yet, in the time he was with her, he was not with others. He didn't feel the need to play the playboy anymore.  
  
"I wonder if this is what they call contentedness. Maybe it is even love."  
  
Touga chuckled at that last thought. He had thought that once before, and been denied. Maybe his own chains had been untangled. He didn't feel any different, but Sayonji had not noticed any changes when they happened to him.  
  
"Intriguing."  
  
Touga just lay there for hours, looking at the ceiling. Akio had threatened him if he joined. He knew better than to take that threat lightly. However...  
  
"Damn that girl and her infectious chivalry."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Anthy closed the door as Utena and her aunt sat down for another cup of tea. They would be there for a while, she thought to herself. As she turned, her private revelry was ended as she came chest to face with Utena's cousin.  
  
"Hello."  
  
"Hi"  
  
"Came to check on your mom and cousin, huh?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm worried about her. Aren't you?"  
  
"I'm always worried about her, but I have confidence in her strength. It's one of the reasons why I love her."  
  
"You're strange."  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"I don't know what it is, but you're weird. You made Utena-oneesama weird too."  
  
"Oh… is it because of what you saw us doing the other day."  
  
"No, my friend Mari has two mommies so its not that. Utena-oneesama doesn't look different or act different she just-"  
  
"She feels different."  
  
"Yeah, that's it!"  
  
"Well, there's a reason for that." Anthy said as she crouched down so she was face to face with the girl. "Let me tell you a story."  
  
"A story?"  
  
"You know how your cousin wants to be a prince."  
  
"Uhm hm."  
  
"Well, I'm going to tell you how Utena became a prince and of the princess she saved."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"Okay Utena, what I'm going to tell you may come as a shock."  
  
"You'd be surprised how much it'd take to shock me these days."  
  
"Hmmm, maybe, considering who your girlfriend is."  
  
"You knew Anthy?"  
  
"I went to Ohtori too, heard the rumors about the Chairman's weird sister. Of course, your father was the only one to talk to her at the time. He would come home with these weird stories about secret duels and this power to bring revolution to something or other."  
  
"Bring revolution to the world. The duels were to bring revolution. Did he ever talk about an arena in the sky?"  
  
"Um, no. He always said they were in the basements. Although he did say that his sempai was working on some weird sky arena."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yup, some weird guy with this flaming pink hair. A real freak."  
  
Utena just glared at her.  
  
"No, not the hair. I meant he was weird. They said he wasn't human, like he was a computer or something."  
  
"Weird."  
  
"Yeah; anyway, he knew about a lot of stuff, he even got to meet the chairman."  
  
Utena paled as she heard that.  
  
"He's the one who introduced your parents. They were so happy together. Your father said that for that he would save Anthy. Though, from what he never said."  
  
Utena stared at the photo in her hands. Her father and mother stared into it, smiling happily. In the background, she could see Anthy smiling behind her mother.  
  
"Did Anthy ever go home with dad?"  
  
"Once, he had her stay in my room with me. We didn't say much."  
  
Utena let out a sigh of relief. Her father had never done anything with Anthy; though she wondered if Anthy wouldn't have said anything if she knew. She decided to put faith in her wife. She got up.  
  
"Is there anything else?"  
  
"... I think so."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
They stood in the basement; knee deep in junk that their neighbors could not throw out. Yurika scrounged around their family's corner. Anthy and Utena stood hand in hand together, just watching Utena's aunt act strange.  
  
"Got it!" She yelled as she unsettled a rather large pile. "Your father said that if you ever said anything about the duels to give you this." She handed Utena a wrapped package. Utena recognized its shape and started tearing away the packaging.  
  
"I can't believe my dad actually left me a sword, a real life family heirloom..."  
  
"Bokken." Anthy finished dully staring at the rather odd looking practice sword. Utena's face dropped as she looked at it. She couldn't use this. She used a real sword; well it was a real sword before it was shattered. She sighed and looked pleadingly at her aunt.  
  
"Please tell me this is a joke."  
  
"No joke. Your dad gave that to me to give to you."  
  
"Auntie."  
  
"Don't worry; he said that it had a few surprises in it. Just use it in one duel."  
  
Utena just sighed. "If it's what my father wanted." She said as she sheathed the sword in her belt. Anthy patted her on the shoulder and smiled at her. Utena just sighed and walked away. She had things she needed to think about.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
It was a calm summer day at Ohtori academy. A bus pulled in front of the student council building and just sat idling. It was an hour later when Sayonji showed up in front of it. He was soon joined by Juri, Sakaya, Miki, Wakaba and Nanami.  
  
"Did one of you guys hire this bus?" Sayonji asked from his vantage point.  
  
"Um, no." Wakaba was the first to answer.  
  
"Well, someone had to." Juri, ever the pragmatist retorted from her area. Next to her, Sakaya just nodded her agreement. Miki just gave the new girl a sideward glance. Juri still had yet to explain to him what she was doing there. Juri didn't seem the type to drag her girlfriend into this world.  
  
"I sent for it, if you must know. One Kiryuu Touga answered as he stepped into view from inside the bus. He was wearing a black variant of his duelist uniform. He just stood there, smiling at them. A strange woman stood next to him. He lifted his hand to show his signet ring.  
  
"Now if you really want to help Tenjou I would suggest climbing on the bus. I trust you are all packed." He looked at the bags that the others had. Everyone except Miki was hauling luggage about. They were not even dressed in their uniforms. "Now, are you coming?"  
  
Miki just looked up at the others and sighed sadly. "I'm sorry you guys, but I'll have to meet you there in a few weeks. Kozue isn't ready to go yet and I don't want to leave her behind." Juri nodded in understanding and patted him on the back.  
  
"It's alright, well see you there."  
  
Miki brightened under the encouragement. "Thank you Juri-sempai, Please give Tenjou-kun my love." Juri gave him the proverbial hairy eyeball. "You know what I mean.  
  
The others made their way to the bus. Juri lingered at the bus for a minute.  
  
"So you're doing it, despite his best warnings not to."  
  
"What can I say? Tenjou's damn chivalry is contagious. I had to do something or risk feeling bad about it for the rest of my life. And feeling bad is something I've never done; I don't want to start now."  
  
"Hmm."  
  
"Is there anything else you wanted to talk about Arisagawa?"  
  
"No, not right now."  
  
After a moment Juri waved to Miki one last time and got on the bus; Touga followed. A moment later, the bus pulled out of the parking lot and made its way to the island of Shirobara.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Utena sat on her terrace looking out on the city below. She had things to think about. She was so oblivious she never heard the door open.   
  
"Can I join you?" Anthy interrupted her thoughts. The dark princess waited expectantly for her answer.  
  
"Sure why not." Utena replied as she opened up her blanket to admit Anthy. The girl pressed her back against her groom's chest. Utena wrapped her arms around Anthy and presented her rose crest to Anthy. Conversations about the rose crest rarely ended well; so Anthy prepared herself to dodge the conversation.  
  
"Do you know that legally we've been married for almost a month and yet we don't have rings?"  
  
"You don't have the money and you don't want me doing anything to get them myself. I believe your words were 'Hime; don't do nothing weird or illegal to get us some rings okay. I'll handle it'."  
  
Utena blushed remembering that day. "Oh yeah; well I still hold to that."  
  
"Why are you bringing it up anyway?"  
  
Utena grasped Anthy's left hand and kissed it.  
  
"When we go back, people are going to be coming after you. They won't believe our word alone." She slipped her ring onto the captured hand. "So I think you should have this."  
  
Anthy stared at her now accessorized hand. In the entire time she was the bride, she never wore anything on that hand. Her brother forbade her from ever wearing anything on either hand. She was the rose bride and should never attach herself to someone because she could change hands very quickly. She was also never allowed a signet ring for fear that she could enter the dueling arena and win her own freedom. She stared at the slight trinket on her hand.  
  
"I figured it'd have a better meaning that way. It led me to you; so it should go back where it belongs.... I have this feeling that I was always supposed to give it to you. I mean it really doesn't mean much, being that a lot of people have it, but it's all that I had and I wanted you to have it." Utena finished babbling with a whisper. She watched as Anthy turned around, tears sparkling the ends of her eyes. However, instead of the anger she was expecting; Anthy was smiling beautifully.  
  
"It means more to me than you could ever imagine. No band you could ever give me could mean this much. I love it; I love you." Anthy kissed her and laid her head on Utena's chest, listening to the quiet heartbeat. She felt Utena slip her arms around her and sigh.  
  
She's happy.  
  
She liked it  
  
She loves me.  
  
For herself, Tenjou Utena could not stop smiling. She was as happy as she had ever been in her life. What Akio had shown her was only a pale shadow compared to this. She had her princess and with that ring everyone would know. Everything else going on: The duels, her parent's history, the secret of her dad's lame bokken; those would all be settled in time. She had faith that with Anthy, everything would resolve itself. She sent a silent prayer to the heavens thanking them for whatever blessing they had bestowed upon her.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
An odd young man sat in front of a computer screen. His face and hair were obscured by the computer glare as he stared at the data on the screen.  
  
"Interesting very interesting; the power of this 'Rose Bride' is most phenomenal. I'm most anticipating facing them to see what she can do. Oh well End of Life said that she would take care of that in time."  
  
He sat back and sighed. He looked at the rings sitting on his desk. Each gem was a different color. A silver one; a black one; a dark green one, and a navy blue one sat waiting for his attention to their owners. Grasping the silver one he slipped it onto his hand. It matched his hair perfectly. He stood and fixed his uniform top. Silver and navy blue dominated it and he thought it suited him rather well. He adjusted his pince-nez and turned into the darkness. With a last flip of his long hair over his shoulder, he began walking  
  
"If a chick does not escape its shell it will die without ever being born; however, if it hatches too soon it will dies from exposure. The world is the chick, we are the egg. Prevent the shattering of the world. For the revolution!"  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Preview of Next Episode:  
  
Utena: It had to happen eventually and here it is. Wakaba has finally come home from Ohtori and want to talk to me about... WHAT? What's she doing with a duelist's ring; and what's she doing with Kiouchi. I want answers now!  
  
Anthy: Utena-otto, please remember to keep calm.  
  
Utena: Why can't my life ever be normal? Next episode of Shoujo Kakumei Utena: Kakumei no Bara; Wakaba's Boisterous Homecoming.  
  
Anthy: It's the Absolute Destiny Apocalypse 


	4. Wakaba's Boisterous Homecoming

She stood in a field of roses. If she had been in a normal state she would have stooped and picked them up. Roses reminded her of Anthy. However, she had more pressing matters to attend to. Someone stood in front of her. Holding Anthy like a human shield; he/she/it had a dagger to her throat.  
  
"Fight me 'prince'"  
  
"Only if you let her go!"  
  
"Oh yes, the bride; I'll let her go once you pull your sword.  
  
"Fine!"  
  
Utena unsheathed her sword. She took a steady position, well guarded.  
  
What's that noise? Is he… laughing?  
  
"What is that? Are you going to hit me with a stick?"  
  
Utena looked down to see her bokken. She suddenly felt very foolish. She also felt very angry.  
  
"Shut Up!" Utena dashed towards her opponent. He merely smirked and dropped Anthy. He pulled his own scimitar out of his sheath and charged. They met with a mighty clash. They stayed that way for a moment…until Utena's bokken shattered.  
  
"Nooooooo!" Utena screamed as wood bits flew everywhere. She felt the blade tear into her stomach. She saw red as her life drained away. She opened her mouth to scream in pain…  
  
…And woke up shrieking as if she really were being killed. Anthy bolted awake from the sound and turned around, looking around in fright; worried that there was some unnamed evil in the room.  
  
"Utena, what's going on?"  
  
Utena could not stop crying. She grabbed for Anthy and clung to the girl like an anchor.  
  
"Utena what was it?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Shoujo Kakumei Utena: Kakumei no Bara  
  
Wakaba's Boisterous Homecoming  
  
Utena sat on a park bench and stretched. She hadn't slept since the early hours of the morning. She yawned and leaned back, arching her back against the bench's back rest. She had managed to turn her head completely over when she saw a bus pull in front of a restaurant.  
  
What the heck is a bus doing here? This ain't no bus route. It's probably a band or something looking for some snacks. Maybe it's Bad Luck.  
  
Utena's curiosity got the better of her and she went to see just who could be in this bus. Then the doors opened and it's occupants stepped out. First came Juri, looking tired with some girl Utena recognized from another class in her grade when she went to Ohtori. She briefly wondered why this girl was here. Next came Nanami, looking sleep deprived and cranky. Touga stepped out after her, chattering amiably with a pretty blond. She was a few years older than Touga, but not many. Next stepped out Sayonji. He looked as he always did; pissy. The worst shock came a moment later, when Wakaba jumped out of the bus, covering half the distance between Sayonji and herself and then flinging herself onto Sayonji's arm. He looked shocked for a moment and did something Utena never even thought he could do genuinely. He laughed a little and mussed her hair.  
  
"What in the blue bloodyfuck is going on here?"  
  
Wakaba was as happy as she could be. She was home, and she had brought Sayonji with her. She didn't think it could get any better till she heard that familiar voice. She found Utena, standing only a few feet away. The others also noticed her and merely stopped. Too sheocked to glomp, she merely stared. "Utena-sama" she squeaked. Her eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed against his chest.  
  
"Eh, hey Wakaba." Sayonji was glaring at her for making Wakaba faint and everyone else was just staring. Utena started rubbing her temples. Someone needed to explain what was going on.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
They sat in the restaurant, sipping tea. Utena had grown accustomed to tea, it helped sooth her jangled nerves. Wakaba and Sayonji sat across from her, eating some of the breakfast they had ordered.  
  
"Mmm, I feel like it's been forever since I actually ate a normal meal." Wakaba spoke while she devoured her toast and eggs. Sayonji sat next to her, easting his rice quietly, savoring the flavor slowly. Utena wondered if she herself had acted like this after she had left the academy. She couldn't remember much about those days. Speaking of Anthy, where was she? She was supposed to meet them there.  
  
Just when Utena felt like she couldn't take waiting another minute her bride entered the restaurant, a collection of books in her arms. She walked over to them; apologies all the way.  
  
"Sorry I'm late; I was in the library, looking up some things."  
  
She kissed Utena and sat down next to her. When she finished putting her books down she saw Wakaba and Sayonji; they were both in shock.  
  
"What?" The happy couple questioned in unison. They couldn't figure out why Wakaba and Sayonji were staring like that.  
  
"Y-you never told me that you and she were…"  
  
"What?" Once again they spoke in stereo.  
  
"Together." Sayonji finished, making a rather suggestive gesture to stress what they meant.  
  
"Oh." Utena blushed.  
  
In her seat Wakaba quivered angrily, the shadows that covered her eyes kept Utena from gauging her emotions. Her fingers clenched in the tablecloth. After a full minute of this, she bolted to her feet with an accusing finger at Anthy.  
  
"You; I hate you! What did you do to Utena-sama?"  
  
Anthy didn't even flinch, but merely reached out and grasped Wakaba's hand. She looked up at the girl with cold, steel eyes.  
  
"I did nothing to her except try to show her how much I love her. The fact that she reciprocated is by no enchantment but her own. If you so much as accuse me of ever using my powers to influence Utena ever again I will personally see to it that you suffer for that falsehood. I love her. That is all you need to know."  
  
Wakaba sniffed with indignation. "Why should I believe you?" Then Anthy placed a small leaf shaped hairpin in her hand.  
  
"Because I honestly believe that Kyoichi-sempai can truly love you and change. Remember, the duelists weren't the only people to change during that last duel." Hen Anthy looked up at her with wide open eyes, letting Wakaba see the sincerity burning in their depths. Wakaba's resolve melted the second she saw the truth in Anthy's sparkling depths. She lowered head and clasped her other hand, trapping Anthy's.   
  
"Make her happy Himemiya-san, please. She deserves it."  
  
"Of course I will. Also, it's not Himemiya anymore." She lifted her left hand, showing them the ring. "It's Tenjou now. We were married a month ago." Again, she was privy to their shocked faces. However, the recovery form this was much easier. Sayonji merely looked at her through his bangs.  
  
"So any thoughts of seducing you-"  
  
"Not a chance in hell?" Anthy replied cheerfully. Wakaba stared at Sayonji with a hurt look. He merely looked at her with a benign expression.  
  
"Calm down chibi; it's a joke we have between ourselves. I wouldn't really try to seduce her."  
  
"At least he wouldn't tell you if he did." Utena smirked from where she sat, arms crossed under her chest. Sayonji whipped his head around and glared at her. Utena merely smirked at him and cocked her eyebrows. "But Sayonji has one thing to remember." Utena lifted her left hand to show off an ornate wedding band. "She's off limits; to the game and anything else." Utena's eyes promised a pain worse than death if he even dared look at her wrong. Sayonji merely leaned back and laughed. He wrapped an arm around Wakaba and returned the stare. Their eyes threatened as their mouths smiled.  
  
"Chu?"  
  
Sayonji stopped laughing suddenly and looked up, to see the small bane of his existence sitting on his hair, eating a banana. It leaned over and looked at him; then it gave him a victory sign. His scream could be heard down the block.  
  
"GET THIS DAMN RUNT OFFA MY HEAD!!!"  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
They sat in the dark room, watching as the projector played back a fight between Utena and Juri. Utena suddenly crouched, and the power of Dios was upon her.  
  
"Interesting; at first her technique is so weak against this one, then she suddenly improves exponentially. It's as if this power she has can compensate for any flaws.  
  
"It can. With that kind of power, what you want could be within arm's reach."  
  
"Really? As a man of science, do you really expect me to believe that this is some sort of magic?"  
  
"You've seen the data yourself. The evidence is right in front of you. I've shown you what her presence and that power did to the students of her last school."  
  
"And you expect me to able to defeat her? How exactly does that work?"  
  
"I have faith in you."  
  
"I see"  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
In Ohtori's drama department, three young ladies were preparing to put on a play for no one in particular. They danced, posed, and prepared to dispense the school's gossip.  
  
"Kashira, Kashira, Dozonai Kashira!''  
  
A-ko stood on a fake rock, holding a stage sword and staring off into the distance  
  
"A journey, a journey; 'tis a journey we shall be going on!"  
  
"What are you talking about," B-ko asked behind her. There was a thump as A-ko panicked and fell off of the rock. She landed on her butt and looked up at her partner.  
  
"We're going on a journey. All brave knights go on journeys."  
  
"We are?"  
  
"Yes; an evil king is threatening the people of a far off kingdom, the prince and her knights have already left. We must go to join them."  
  
"And what will we do when we get there?"  
  
"… I haven't thought about that part yet."   
  
B-ko fell over at that. However, she wasn't too surprised. Her partner rarely thought things through.  
  
"And how are we supposed to get there anyway?"  
  
Suddenly a spaceship landed behind them. The hatch opened and a robot stepped out.  
  
"I am a robot. I am programmed to catch the monkeys. I see a monkey. I will catch the monkeys!"  
  
"RUN!!" They screamed as they bolted out of sight. The robot gave chase. Suddenly, C-ko ran on stage. She had a fake horses head in her hands. She slammed the horses head onto the front of the spaceship.  
  
"Kogai, Kogai, Kogai! As a brave knight I now commandeer this horse to take us to the foreign kingdom. Hurry up!" Then C-ko ran into the flying saucer. A-ko and B-ko ran back onto the stage a minute later and jumped in. The saucer lifted off, the horses head spinning about as the saucer circled. The robot ran by a moment later.  
  
"Monkey, monkey, I will chase the monkey." She stared around for a moment then ran off. In the background very faintly, you could hear "Kashira, Kashira Dozonai Kashira" then the lights went out.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
It had been months since she had come home. Her parents were almost strangers for so many months out of the year. Needless to say, when she stepped through her front door it was a cause for celebration.  
  
"Mamma, Papa!"  
  
"Wakaba!"  
  
Sayonji was afforded a most amazing sight as both parents and daughter flung themselves at each other, and didn't break anything as they impacted. He also wondered how someone could live through being hugged by a living vice grip. Let alone give a similar death hug to the other people involved. He merely stared in rapt fascination. That is, until they took note of him.  
  
"Hello hello, who is this?"  
  
Sayonji panicked as Wakaba's father fixed his gaze on him. Granted her father was a rather small, unremarkable looking man in his late forties; but fathers in general made him nervous. He didn't have the overwhelming charm of Touga. He also didn't intend to do half the things Touga did with his girls to Wakaba. So he did have an advantage over Touga. His intentions were actually honorable. Of course; that didn't change the fact that the small man advancing on him was starting to make his higher brain functions slow down.  
  
"Oh daddy, this is Sayonji, he's my sempai back at school. He and I were transferred to the one opening up here soon." Wakaba was trying to cover for him. Sayonji looked like a deer caught in headlights. Se giggled as he nodded, dumbstruck.  
  
"Oh really? So, how long have you known our little Wakaba?"  
  
"Um; just a few months now. We met through a mutual acquaintance."  
  
"Really; and who is this acquaintance?"  
  
Sayonji took a long sigh and forced himself to say it without malice. "We were introduced because of…"  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"Tenjou Utena."  
  
The delivery boy stood at Utena's door and waited for someone to sign for the package. He had places to be, and lunch to eat. Finally the strange dark girl finished signing and took the boxes. She regarded him with a smile and giggle before closing the door. Looking at the tip in his hand, he sighed. He was never going to afford anything at this pace.  
  
"Utena; something came in the mail for you. Come one out and let's see it." Anthy called enthusiastically from the entranceway. Utena crawled out of their bedroom, looking much better than she had that morning.  
  
"Oii, I'll be down in a minute. And stop yelling; I just woke up again." Utena was grumbling her replies. She wasn't yet awake enough to be civil. She trudged down the stairs and made her way to where Anthy had placed the packages. "Oii Hime; this one's for you." She said motioning for Anthy to catch before throwing it to her.  
  
Utena had just opened her's and was removing the tissue paper when she heard Anthy's box clatter. She turned to see Anthy holding a white version of the Rose Bride's dress. She remembered wearing something like it when Akio had pulled her sword out in that last duel. Anthy's looked like she had just been slapped. Spying a card on the floor, she picked it up and began to read aloud.  
  
"White is the real color of a bride. It is also the color a princess wears. Your sins are forgiven; welcome to the revolution." Utena looked up at Anthy. "Hime?"  
  
"We'll never be free, will we Utena-sama? All I wanted was to be free." Anthy hugged the dress close to her body and started sobbing. Utena moved to comfort her, but was pulled back her box on an impulse. She peeled aside the paper and saw her old duelist uniform. She threw the box to the other end of the room and went to Anthy.  
  
Unseen to them, when the box went flying; its contents scattered about. Out of it feel the uniform, the paper, a card similar to Anthy's, and finally; a gold rose went flying out. It landed next to the card. It glittered for a moment and then turned a dull black. It then dissolved into nothingness, taking the card and the other things with it. All this was missed as Utena held Anthy to her chest and stroked her back.  
  
The prince was challenged; and there would be no peace until that challenge was met. Not for the prince, or for the world.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Juri sat on a bench, looking up into the sky when Touga sat down on her left side. Sakaya sat on Juri's right, playing some handheld game or another.  
  
"Are you going to tell me what's been bothering you lately Arisagawa or will I have to guess?"  
  
"Oh come now Touga-san, we both know how much you love your guessing games."  
  
"Don't tease me Arisagawa."  
  
"Touga, have you ever felt… haunted by things from your past?"  
  
"Sometimes; there are things in my past I might have considered not doing if I had a second chance at them. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Lately I've been thinking about someone."  
  
"Shiori?"  
  
"Luka."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"I alienated him didn't I… in the end I mean. I mean he loved me, genuinely loved me, and I did what I did to him."  
  
"You were suffering. We all were at that point. He knew that when he came back. He wanted you to be happy, so he did what he did."  
  
"I just wish he were still around sometimes; comforting me like he did when we were younger."  
  
"Who's to say he may not be. Remember Arisagawa, 'there are more things between heaven and earth, than are dreamt of in your philosophy'."  
  
"That would require a miracle."  
  
"Maybe you should learn to reaffirm your belief in miracles."  
  
"That's not likely."  
  
"Is it?"  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Wakaba and Sayonji stood on her terrace, staring at the setting sun. Sayonji merely stood there, staring pensively. Wakaba noticed and nudged him with her hip.  
  
"Hey you there; mr. serious-thinker."  
  
"Eh, what is it Wakaba?"  
  
"What's got you looking like someone killed your cat?"  
  
"Touga is the one with the cat obsession."  
  
"You get the idea. You look pissed; why?"  
  
"I'm worried about what's going. This isn't like the last tournament."  
  
"Well yeah, now we know what to expect."  
  
"No, I don't think we do. I get the feeling that they going to be throwing surprises at us. I can feel it in the air. Whatever's going to happen, it's going to be big, bigger than the last one."  
  
Wakaba stared at him with sad eyes. Sighed then hugged his arm. She snuggled in close to his side and leaned her head against his shoulder.  
  
"Whatever happens, I'm not worried. Not when I have you. If we all stick together, we'll make it. I just know we will."  
  
"Wakaba-"  
  
"Don't say anything. Just hold me and tell me that we'll make it."  
  
So he did  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
He was walking along the highway, staring at a map, wondering which way he was supposed to go. Souichi was tagging along behind. The boy was humming his na no da song again. Finally they came to a crossroad.  
  
"Hey Yuuki, which way are we supposed to go?  
  
"I don't know." Yuuki was starting to feel frustrated, when he felt a presence behind him. He turned to see a dark man with short white hair, leaning against a stylish convertible.  
  
"Maybe I could be of assistance then. Tell me, how does the great Yuuki Eiri feel about teaching a few high school classes."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"This is your captain speaking. We have just passed into Japanese air space. We'll be landing in Tokyo bay shortly. The flight attendants will be making one more pass for refreshments."  
  
The young flight attendant was moving her cart slowly through the aisles, handing out bags of chips here and there. She stopped at the last seat in the aisle. A young man, all of sixteen years old sat there. His long, navy blue hair was pulled back into a rather tight ponytail. He glared at her for interrupting his peace.  
  
"Excuse me sir, but would you like a bag of chips or refreshment. You haven't actually had anything since we left Beijing."  
  
"Your concern is touching, but I require nothing." He replied sharply. His eyes bore into her skull. She was starting to get nervous. "I am not as undisciplined as these fools here. You have disturbed my peace, in any other environment that would be cause for death. Now leave me be…or else." His eyes flashed darkly for a second and the flight attendant scattered. He sat back and stared at the seat in front of him.  
  
"Why must I, Tianquing Han; greatest swordsman in my clan, be surrounded by these fools?" He looked at the card in his hand. "Ohtori academy huh? Why did I feel compelled to take this invitation? How could such a small slip of paper rule my destiny so? No matter; I will win this tournament and gain the revolution. Then people will know the true skill of my family. Maybe then I can- No! Don't think about that. All that matters it victory."   
  
He leaned back against his chair and closed his eyes. The plane continued on, its goal set in destiny.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Preview of Next Episode:  
  
Utena: Hay Anthy what you got there?  
  
Anthy: Oh, just some designs for your new uniform. I drew them up the night of the carnival.  
  
Utena: Really?  
  
Anthy: Yeah. Utena, do you remember the night of the carnival?  
  
Utena: I'll remember that night for the rest of my existence. That's the night we-  
  
Anthy: Shh, don't tell. Let them find out on their own.  
  
Utena: Right; Next time on Shoujo Kakumei Utena: Kakumei no Bara; A Carnival, A Carnival; Can True Love Flourish In Two Shy Hearts.  
  
Anthy: It's the Absolute Destiny Apocalypse!  
  
Other notes:  
  
-Otto= (Informal) My husband  
  
The new character; Tianqing, is a take off on Wufei from Gundam Wing.  
  
The white Rose Bride's dress Anthy is wearing is actually the one she wore in the first few volumes of the manga.  
  
Yuuki Eiri and Souichi are the names of the two love interests in Gravitation. It's hilarious. 


	5. A Carnival A Carnival

Anthy sat down at the drawing table Utena had in her room and riffled through some of the pictures that they had there. There were a few cute sketches of Chibi-Utena dashing with her sword, and Chu-chu eating things much too large for his body; including Sayonji. She giggled, remembering how Sayonji had stared at the creature after seeing it.   
  
She turned a few pages back and stopped. Those pages contained sketched of a new uniform for Utena. She traced over the lines with a finger, musing over the images she had thought of. It had bolder lines than Utena's old one. It was also more reminiscent of the uniforms that the student council wore. She thought back to the other day when those uniforms came in the mail. It was that moment that Anthy made a silent decision. She stood and moved to the closet. She pulled out a roll of pink fabric and sat on the bed. She had work to do.  
  
Utena walked in a few minutes later. She stopped eating her bowl of instant ramen and stared at the pieces Anthy had already cut out.  
  
"Um, Hime, what're you doin'?"  
  
"Oh, Utena-otto; I was just working on something for you. Your old uniform won't do for the new school year, so I'm making you a new one."  
  
"Um, it's pink." Utena pointed out, pointing at the oddly colored fabric.  
  
"Actually it's rose. It's almost the same color as your hair."  
  
"Oh." Utena said, sitting on the bed. She picked up the sheet of paper with the designs on it. "Hey, is this what it's supposed to look like?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Hey, according to this date, you drew this the night of the…"  
  
"Yes; the night of the carnival. I was wondering if you remembered that."  
  
"How could I forget? That was a weird week anyway"  
  
"Yes it was Utena-otto."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Shoujo Kakumei Utena: Kakumei no Bara  
  
A Carnival; A Carnival  
  
Utena walked into her apartment, a tired wreck. Anthy followed shortly behind. She had been following the girl for at least half of the town, without so much as a sentence said between them. When they finally stumbled into Utena's apartment, the girl went straight for the couch.  
  
"I'm sorry if I'm not much for company Himemiya, but I'm so tired right now." Utena said into the cushions of her couch. Anthy sat in a close recliner and smiled, amused.  
  
"Poor Utena, you look like you've been through a lot."  
  
"I have. Do you know that I've been so tired since I was expelled that I spent the first week I was home in my bed"  
  
"Expelled?"  
  
"Yeah, expelled remember. I was caught fighting with someone and they expelled me. The guy even stabbed me," Utena said as she lifted up her shirt partially to show a scar in her lower chest. Anthy stared at it with horror. Tears started welling up in her eyes. Her hands curled around the imaginary sword she had held those long months ago.  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Yeah; must've been one helluva fight. All I really remember is waking up one day and the chairman telling me that because of my actions that I had to be expelled. Imagine that, the chairman actually stopping by to tell me that." Utena yawned after she finished her story. For some reason she couldn't keep her eyes open.  
  
"Maybe I should get us some tea, Utena."  
  
"Yeah, maybe you should. Third drawer on top. I'm sorry if I can't be a very good host; I'm just so incredibly tired." Utena was just fighting to keep her eyes open at this point.   
  
By the time Anthy was back with the tray Utena was already unconscious. She snored lightly. Anthy was taken aback by just how adorable Utena looked in her sleep. She moved to move some hair out of her face. She had been snorting when it got into her nose. As her hand brushed Utena's cheek, she saw something.  
  
A flash…chains. What's going on here?  
  
Anthy stepped back for a moment and looked again. Utena started tossing in her sleep. Her peaceful visage turned on her. Her brow furrowed and she started muttering.  
  
"Himemiya, I'm sorry."  
  
Anthy blanched at those words. What was going on in Utena's mind? She had to know. Tentatively, she reached out and cupped both sides of Utena's face with her hands. Utena stopped moving, but her breathing changed, becoming heavier.  
  
"In the name of the noble rose I contract my self to this power. I, the scion of the gods, open all the gateways that separate this world and the next. Now I open the door to the room of the soul, searching for the true spirit of this chosen one. I now bind myself to this soul with the power of a kiss. Let there be none that dare break this connection lest they suffer the fate of limitless torment."  
  
Then Anthy leaned in and kissed her. There was a brief flash in her eyes; then she fell in.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
There was blackness; blackness and chains. Utena was floating along, moving up and down to get out of the way of the running chains.  
  
Utena was growing weary. She had been maneuvering around the chains for hours. Her broken sword clanged again as she blocked the movements of another chain. It had been bad enough that she was trapped in a chamber with all of these chains; but when they grew razor tips and started moving it got worse.   
  
Now she was bobbing and weaving around the chains to get out. She didn't know what was outside, but she knew that she had to get out. Her uniform was torn and battered. Her sword had shattered long ago and now only served to protect her from the more direct attacks of the chains.  
  
"I'm so tired. I just want to rest. Why can't I just stop?"  
  
"No! Don't stop!"  
  
Utena looked up. She thought she had heard someone. There wasn't supposed to be anyone else here. She had made sure that there was no one else around. This was her personal hell and she didn't want anyone else to have to experience it.  
  
"Please Utena, don't stop!"  
  
"That voice."  
  
Utena looked up to see a figure moving through the chains. This was not an easy task since the chains were now aiming for the intruder. They moved to block her path as she floated towards the prince. However, she persevered; getting ever closer to the beaten girl. Then, just as she was close enough to touch her, the chains moved into place. They formed a web in front of Utena, keeping Anthy from her. They stiffened, creating an impenetrable barrier.  
  
"I'm sorry, but you can't keep me from her. Please excuse me!"  
  
With a gesture Anthy sent the chains scattering. She smiled as she saw Utena's amazed expression. She moved in and held out her hand to the prince.  
  
"Himemiya, what're you doin' here?"  
  
"I came to get you out of this hell."  
  
"Don't; I deserve this. I couldn't save you. I failed you."  
  
"If you had failed me, would I be here to free you? I am no ghost sent to torment you. I am here to set your free."  
  
"I-I didn't fail?"  
  
"No, you didn't. Now it's time for us to go home."  
  
"Home."  
  
However, the chains wouldn't allow that. They circled around, gathering speed to try again. They all gathered together and struck forward. They were moving so fast that if they made contact, Utena and Anthy would be scattered everywhere. Anthy merely looked up and waved her hand. Suddenly, a barrier was up around them. While it was still black emptiness out there, inside it was raining rose petals. Utena stared around in childlike fascination. Anthy merely concentrated on the barrier and waited. The chains struck the barrier. For a second Anthy actually thought that they might get through. The chains made contact with the barrier and shattered. All of them scattered into the air, like metallic dust.  
  
"This is the true power I've held. I can both entrap someone in their chains, and free them of the chains that bind them. I can do many more things, but this is my greatest gift of all."  
  
"Himemiya."  
  
"Please Utena, call me Anthy."  
  
When the last of the attacking chains had been shattered, Anthy let down the shield. She relaxed against Utena. Then she saw it. A small red chain was zipping around, moving in a crazy pattern. It rushed up to them and started spinning around them. It made its way between their hands. It wrapped itself around, tying into a knot. It popped, becoming a small red thread. They both stared at it.  
  
"What is this?"  
  
"This is a very good thing."  
  
"Let's go home."  
  
At that Utena reached for her sword. The blade had been repaired.  
  
"Hey, my sword's fixed."  
  
"Yes it is." Anthy said leaning in close. Utena was taken aback.  
  
"Hey what're you –. " She never finished her sentence as Anthy kissed her. There was another flash.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Anthy stood up and moved back. It wouldn't do for Utena to find Anthy in her face when she woke up. She thought of the chains imprisoning Utena's soul.  
  
At least it explains why she didn't remember anything.  
  
Utena's eyes fluttered open, her head felt light and her lips tingled. She was a little confused. When she looked up, there was Anthy standing there. Her hair was down and there were no glasses. She knew somewhere in her heart of hearts that this is how she should look…. Then her memory came back.  
  
"Anthy, you're here."  
  
"It's nice to meet you, Tenjou Utena-san."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Keisuke sat back and relaxed. It had been forever since he actually had a chance to rest like this. If he wasn't in school, he was helping out in his parent's ice cream parlor. Thus, he planned to relish this time he had. He sat back in his chair and relaxed. He tilted till it was in its hind legs. He leaned it back… back… back…  
  
BANG, BANG, BANG  
  
And promptly fell over when Utena "knocked" on the door. Rubbing his head, he got up and went to answer it. As expected, there stood Utena; but next to her was a very attractive girl. Her dark skin seemed to glow and she smiled at him.  
  
"Oh, hey; what's up with you? Why're you bothering me on my day off?"  
  
"Cuz it's your day off Kei you brat."  
  
Who're you calling a brat, you midget?"  
  
CHOMP  
  
"Ow, quit bitin' my head"  
  
"That's what you get, stupid Kei."  
  
"Okay, okay; just introduce me to your friend already."  
  
"Oh, right. Sorry; Dana Keisuki, meet Himemiya Anthy. She's a… friend from school. She'll be staying with me for a while.  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Pleased to meet you Keisuki-san."  
  
"Ditto, but please, call me Kei. If you hadn't noticed, most of my friends and even the tomboy over here do." He said gesturing towards Utena.  
  
"Alright, Kei it is."  
  
"Hey whaddaya mean, 'and the tomboy'."  
  
"Let's face it kid, we've been more than friends for a long time now. Christ, you're like my little sister. Emphasis on the little."  
  
Utena started trying to punch him. He merely held her at bay by holding her head at arms length. Anthy giggled watching them. She could see why Utena wanted her to meet this Kei. He was probably even closer to her than Wakaba.  
  
"Alright, alright; come on in. I guess we have a lot of catching up to do."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
On the walk home, the three of them relished in the wonderful sensation of being full. While Anthy had only settled for a modest salad, Utena and Kei had pigged out. Anthy had never seen such a spectacle as the two of them fighting over the portions they had been allotted. If it had not been an all you can eat establishment, she was sure that it would have ended in violence.  
  
"Oh man, nobody kiss me. I taste like garlic." Utena murmured as she walked along, holding her stomach. Kei walked behind her, holding his bloated stomach in like fashion.  
  
"Yeah right like anyone here's bound to kiss you anyway."  
  
Utena inclined her head towards Anthy, their eyes met and Anthy felt a blush stain her cheeks. All this went unnoticed by Kei.  
  
When they finally got to the front of Utena's building, Kei and Utena's fighting had reached a lull. They parted and the two girls went upstairs. When they entered the apartment the phone was wringing and from the looks of things, it had been wringing for a while. The machine had over twelve messages on it.  
  
"Great, what could it be this time?" Utena grumbled, picking up the receiver. "Yeah, okay, sure. Okay, I'll be sure to keep that in mind." She hung up and sighed. "Just fucking great."  
  
"What's wrong Utena?" Anthy asked from where she was sitting.  
  
"That was the landlord; he had to turn off the water boiler for the night. They have to do repairs. We've only got an hour of hot water left."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Yeah, we don't have enough to take two showers really."  
  
"Well, I'm sure we could make it last better if we showered together."  
  
"What?" Utena blurted from where she was. Her face wouldn't stop burning.  
  
"Yes. I mean you do have such a big shower and we could wash each other's backs. I mean it's not like this is the first time we've seen each other under such circumstances. We we're roommates after all."  
  
Utena relaxed and licked her lips. The girl's logic had made sense. "Yeah, I guess so. Get your stuff then."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
The shower was not as big as they had originally remembered it to be. While there was enough room for two people to shower together, there was not enough room to fit their combined shyness. They could feel each other's body heat; it made it even warmer than the hot water could have afforded them.  
  
"I thought you said we'd done this sort of thing before."  
  
"I said it wouldn't be the first time we've seen each other under such circumstances. We've been in the bathroom at the same time while one of us was showering."  
  
"How nice."  
  
"Here, please do my back."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Wash my back, please. I figure it'd be better since you have better access than I do."  
  
"Oh, okay." Utena turned around only to see the slender girl moving her hair. Such beautiful hair. She slapped herself and took a step to close the distance. Anthy was waiting expectantly; her patience was rewarded as she felt Utena's hands on her back, scrubbing the soap into her skin.  
  
She's so soft. Calm down Tenjou, you can get through this. My god, she looks so fragile. Kind of like a china doll.  
  
However, Utena's mind was already starting to numb over. Her scrubs were starting to soften, turning into caresses. Son she was massaging Anthy's spine. She smiled as she heard the other girl start to purr. Then things started to get out of hand. Anthy started leaning back, forcing Utena to hold her up with her chest. She felt Anthy's head fall backwards and lay on her shoulder. Her hands starting inching under her arms, rubbing at her sides and making their way towards Anthy's chest.  
  
"Utena."  
  
When Anthy moaned her name, the spell was broken. Utena came back to herself. She saw the position she was in and quickly tried to remedy it. She leveled Anthy off of her and moved toward the stream. She got all of the soap off of her and stepped out of the tub in record time. She was out of the bathroom before Anthy even had time to protest.  
  
"Utena-sama." Anthy croaked weakly from the tub as she curled into a ball. A half hour later Anthy yelped loudly when the warm water ran out.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
A week passed and they didn't speak of the incident. The one day as they were out on the town they passed a street lamp. A poster lay on it and Anthy stopped to read it. Utena was a few feet ahead before she realized that Anthy was not next to her. She turned and spied her friend staring intently at the poster. She hadn't stopped sucking on her ice pop.  
  
"Hey Himemiya; what're you looking at?"  
  
"Oh, Utena; there's going to be a fair here in a few days. Can we go?"  
  
"Uh, sure."  
  
"Oh good." Anthy smiled at her and Utena felt a sinking in her heart. She had a strange feeling that something very strange was coming her way. She groaned and rubbed her head. It was too early for such deep thoughts.  
  
"Are you alright Utena?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine. C'mon, let's go bother Kei before we go to the mall."  
  
"Okay."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Anthy stood in Utena's room, waiting for her to come back with whatever she said she was going to show her. She moved over to the drawing table Utena had in a corner. Blank paper adorned it and a pencil waited to be used. She sat down and began to draw. She was halfway through her third page of details when Utena came back in.  
  
"Hey, what're you doing?"  
  
"Oh nothing." Anthy said standing up. She was still clasping the pencil. Utena walked up and looked over her shoulder.  
  
"Hey, you're pretty good. What's this of?"  
  
"Um, nothing. Just some random sketches."  
  
"Oh, okay. Well, stand over here. I want to show you what I have for you." She stood Anthy in the middle of the room and pulled something out of a box. In the end she had placed a purple Kimono on front of Anthy gauging if it needed to be hemmed or not. Anthy stared down at it with wide eyes.  
  
"W-where did you get this?"  
  
"It was my mother's. I remembered it and figured it'd go well with your hair."  
  
"Really? You wanted me to wear your mother's yukata?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Doesn't it mean too much to you to have me wear it?"  
  
"Anthy, you mean a lot to me too. That's why I want you to wear it." Utena said, looking at Anthy with soft eyes. She shook it off before Anthy had a chance to look back. The girl was blushing deeply.  
  
"Oh."  
  
After long tense moment of just staring into each other's eyes, they started leaning in closer. They could feel each other's breath on their faces. They were so tantalizingly close that Utena felt a violent wave of disappointment wash over her when Anthy pulled away and turn.  
  
"Well, it looks like this should fit me just fine. I should go and change." Anthy couldn't seem to keep the hoarseness out of her voice.  
  
"Yeah." Utena responded, sounding just as hoarse. Anthy exited the room, moving as if she were in a daze. With similar movements, Utena sat on her bed. She tucked her knees up to her chin and started rocking back and forth.  
  
"What's happening to me?"  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
The bus ride to the festival was uneventful, only long. The two rode in silence, relaxing into a comfortable lull. Finally though, they arrived at their destination.  
  
"C'mon, hurry up Anthy. I wanna do everything."  
  
"We have plenty of time, maybe you should slow down." Anthy replied giggling. Utena laughed back and looked around. Her eyes snagged on something and she ran off, telling Anthy to stay still she returned. Anthy moved into a crook and waited. As she did, she took note of her surroundings. The soft music being pumped through small speakers, the lovers walking about, holding hands or wrapped around each other. Every once in a while she spied a bickering couple; the girl angry at her boyfriend for acting like a fool in front of his friends. She was so engrossed in the atmosphere that she didn't notice Utena coming up behind her.  
  
"White or brown chocolate?"  
  
Anthy jumped a few feet into the air in front of Utena. She landed, clutching her heart.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I bought candied apples; white and brown chocolate. Which do you want?"  
  
"Any which one will do."  
  
"But I want you to make the decision. I mean, I don't know what you like."  
  
"Honestly, I wouldn't know. I've never actually had one of those."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yes. I've never actually been to a carnival. I also didn't have many friends to do things with."  
  
"Oh." Utena paused for a minute. Then her energy returned and she turned to face the smaller girl. "Alright, then you'll learn which one you like better now."  
  
"Ara, Utena, I don't think I can eat both of those things right now."  
  
"Don't worry. You'll close your eyes right now and I'll let you have a bite of each. Then you'll choose which one you like better."  
  
"Okay." Anthy's eyes fluttered closed and she tilted her head up. Utena took the moment to look over her companion. Anthy looked radiant in Utena's mother's kimono. She had almost choked up; remembering the last time her mother had worn it. She leaned in close and surveyed her face. In truth, Utena felt pulled to this girl. She was so pulled that she was starting to lean in closer. She saw Anthy's brow furrow.  
  
"Utena, where are those samples you were supposed to give me." Then she felt Utena's breath on her face and her mouth stopped, forming an o of shock.  
  
"Hold on." Utena said as she threw caution to the wind and kissed Anthy. They stayed very still for long moments, until Anthy threw her arms around Utena's neck. The kiss turned deep and meaningful.  
  
Utena, I love you so much.  
  
"Hey you two!" Kei yelled from across the street. He couldn't see across the crowd very well, but he spied pink and purple hair. Not many people out there had those hair colors. He hoped that he hadn't been interrupting something just them.  
  
The girls pulled away and looked at each other.  
  
"White or brown chocolate?"  
  
"Just chocolate will do." Utena pulled out the two apples and Anthy took the white one. "Thank you."  
  
"No problem." Whether they were talking about the kiss or the apples neither was sure. They merely started moving towards the yelling blond across the street.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"Oh man, look at that thing. It's even bigger than the one last year."  
  
"I can't wait to give it a whirl."  
  
"Don't you think it looks a little dangerous?"  
  
"That's the appeal Anthy"  
  
The thing they were all referring to was a five story rollercoaster, waiting for the crowd to gather and be amazed by its raw power. Anthy was eyeing it warily while Utena and Kei stared at it like children.  
  
"Look at it, it's challenging us."  
  
"Yup."  
  
"We have to get on it."  
  
"Yup."  
  
"To accept its challenge."  
  
"Yup."  
  
"To prove what brave men we are."  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"Brave men and women."  
  
"Better."  
  
"Um, guy's I think I'll sit this out. I don't want to wrinkle the kimono any."  
  
Utena stared at her warily. Their eyes locked for just a second. That was long enough for them to both start blushing. Finally Utena nodded acceptance and turned to Kei.  
  
"Come on, I don't think Anthy's up to getting on a rollercoaster."  
  
"How come?"  
  
"She's kinda delicate. I don't think her body'd appreciate a rollercoaster like us rough and tumble types can."  
  
"I can accept that. C'mon."  
  
"I'll wait on that bench over there, okay?"  
  
Utena walked over to Anthy and placed a hand on her cheek. She nuzzled the hand and stared adoringly into Utena's eyes, waiting for her to say something. Though Anthy was free, Utena's slightest wish was her command. She would gladly kill herself if it would make Utena happy in the long run.  
  
"Just be careful okay. I don't know what I would do if something happened to you while I was on that ride."  
  
Anthy merely nodded happily. Utena made her way back to Kei and they started walking towards the ride. Though they didn't notice it, Kei had noted the exchange with a mind that was slowly turning those events over like a puzzle.  
  
Anthy made her way to the bench and sat down. She saw the way they fought like children to get to the front. She giggled when Kei put Utena into a headlock and she wailed for him to let her go.  
  
"May I sit here?"  
  
Anthy looked and saw a girl of about 19 standing next to the bench. She moved her bag out of the way and motioned for the girl to sit. She slumped into the seat and pulled a fan out of her sleeve.  
  
"These days are getting warm."  
  
"Yes, they are. It's lucky for us that this festival is at night or we'd be sweating even worse."  
  
"Yeah. Name's Kamino Ayani; what's yours?"  
  
"Himemiya Anthy; pleased to meet you." They shook hands, but when they did Anthy felt a chill run up her spine. There was something about this girl that she felt wary of.  
  
"So, how long have you known Utena?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"How long have you known Utena? I thought she'd at least tell you a little about me. We were very close."  
  
The way the girl pronounced close made another chill pass through Anthy's body. She didn't like the direction this girl was going. She started edging away. "Um, about a school year. We were roommates."  
  
"Heh, we went to school together as well. Yep, she was younger then, but she still had that fire inside of her. That zeal to become a prince. It attracted many friends to her."  
  
Anthy turned her head and stared at Utena's car. She saw how she screamed at a loop-the-loop. "Yes, I know that fire."  
  
"Don't invest your emotions in her, girl. She won't return your feelings. Just find someone else. She's looking for her 'prince.' She won't stop chasing a hallucination from her childhood and she'll hurt all the people around her because of that fact."  
  
Anthy thought to the year prior. She saw how Utena found her prince and was betrayed by him. She was there when Utena fought her prince was nearly died. This girl didn't know Utena at all  
  
"I have to go, the ride is almost over. Utena will be waiting for me."  
  
Anthy got up to leave, but she was grabbed and pinned to the bench. She saw the Ayani girl holding her down with a mad hatred in her eyes.  
  
"No she won't. She's mine, so stay away from her bitch! Where does a skinny little cunt like you get off thinking she could ever love you? What do you possibly have to offer her? You can't even keep up with her I bet. I don't even think you're very good in bed. Then again, one never knows unless they try right." She said with a mad gleam in her eye. She grabbed Anthy's wrists and forced them over her head. Her other hand started roaming Anthy's body over the kimono. Tears started welling up for what this girl was about to do to her.  
  
Please, Utena help me.  
  
"Utena!"  
  
Utena was just getting off the ride with Kei. He looked a little green, but she was just fine. She was looking around for Anthy when she heard her scream. Her head snapped in the direction the sound was coming from. She saw someone trying to hurt Anthy.  
  
Utena saw red.  
  
Utena took a step  
  
Utena was gone.  
  
Anthy was crying full on now as Ayani moved hand to get under the kimono. How was no one noticing what was was going on? It seemed like the people around her were just ignoring the proceedings. Then; all at once, the wait on her body was lifted. She looked up to see Ayani gone. She tightened her collar and went to go look for Utena. She didn't see her, but she did see a path carved into the ground. It went from the rollercoaster and went by the bench. It traveled off after that. She started running off in the direction it went to.  
  
Ayani felt herself ripped from the dark girl one second, and then slammed against a wall the next. There had been no walls to slam her against back at the rollercoaster. She felt herself pit the wall behind her. She opened her eyes and looked down. There was Utena staring at her like she was going to kill her.  
  
"Hello Utena." Ayani purred  
  
"Ayani." Utena growled.  
  
"Quite a coincidence to be catching you here don't you think."  
  
"What were you doing to Anthy?"  
  
"Oh yes, her. I was merely trying to get rid of her. She really isn't worthy of you dear." Ayani said, cupping Utena's face. Utena merely snarled and slammed her against the wall again.  
  
"You stay away from her you crazy bitch. Stay away from me too. She is the only one 'worthy' as you keep saying. Just stay away."  
  
"Why; what does she have that I don't? I can keep up with you and do all of the things you like to do. She can't even resist me."  
  
Utena slapped her.  
  
"Shut up! I told you before to stay out of my life." Suddenly she looked very tired. "Please just go home and leave me alone. Can't you see that I don't want you?"  
  
"Not while she's your bitch, I won't. I'll ki-"  
  
Utena slammed her again, harder this time. The dent in the wall behind her got larger and bits of rubble blew away.  
  
"Stay away from her! If you even consider going after her, I'll kill you where you stand! Go home Ayani; there's nothing more we have to say to each other"  
  
Utena turned and started to walk away. She looked very tired.  
  
"She must really have you under some spell. Tell me Utena, what's it like to be fucked by a nigger?"  
  
Before she could even think again, Utena was in her face. She roared and reared her hand back. Her fist started traveling forward at such an incredible speed that if it made contact Ayani would die right on the spot. Ayani closed her eyes and awaited the inevitable, until…  
  
"No, Utena don't!"  
  
Utena's hand impacted the wall behind Ayani and the whole wall exploded behind her. Ayani opened her eyes to see what had stopped Utena's attack. First she saw Utena's eyes glowing an eerie shade if red, then she saw Anthy with her hand on Utena's shoulder. Utena merely stood there; tears leaking out. Anthy turned Utena to face her and wiped the other girl's tears. She started to walk Utena away. Ayani roared in righteous indignation. This was something between her Utena and herself. Who was that interloper to get between Utena and herself?  
  
"Don't get in the middle of this. This isn't over Utena." Anthy merely turned and stared at the girl. Her eyes was glowing an unholy purple. Then she heard a voice inside her head.  
  
((( If you value your life at all, I'd suggest staying away from her )))  
  
Ayani stopped.  
  
They kept going.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
They walked the long way back to Kei and the rollercoaster. It turned out that in that second Utena had managed to run a quarter mile. Neither was sure how it had happened, but they were both too emotionally numb at that time to analyze it. After they met up with Kei again, they decided it was time for them to eat.  
  
The restaurant was in full swing when they got in. The dance floor was full of people searching for a good time. After the preliminaries of ordering and small talk Utena got up from the table.  
  
"Erm, gotta go." She started heading towards the bathrooms.  
  
Anthy merely sighed and leaned her head against a hand. "I told her not to have that big gulp before."  
  
Kei laughed at that. "It wouldn't be Utena if she didn't do stupid things like that."  
  
"Yeah." Anthy said, reflecting on the events of an hour prior. "She also wouldn't be Utena if she didn't do such brave things to protect people."  
  
Kei watched her for a while. His face hardened with every passing second. He didn't want to do this, but it had to be done.  
  
"Utena never told you about Ayani, did she?"  
  
"No."  
  
"I can understand why. This isn't a story most people want to hear."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"It was when we were in out last school, before her and Wakaba were chosen to go to Ohtori. Ayani's father traveled a lot and his latest stop was here. Anyway, she lived pretty close to Utena those days. So naturally they got to know each other. Utena was ecstatic. For once she knew a girl who was as tough as she was. They went everywhere together. Of course, that's how the bad shit happened."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Don't you feel it Anthy? Utena has such an incredible strength of character; anyone who spends time with her is bound to fall in love with her. Hell, even I was infatuated with her at once point. Utena didn't want it though. She always offered friendship though."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"She doesn't like hurting people, and she avoids it at all costs. Anyway; I accepted her friendship and we became the great team we are now. I don't think she could have wanted a better big brother."  
  
"You're right; you torture her enough for three big brothers."  
  
Kei's laughter rang throughout the restaurant. It lasted for a good minute; unfortunately it died down and Kei's face became very serious. Anthy knew that the story had come to the part he wanted her to hear.  
  
"Like I said, I accepted her friendship, but Ayani didn't. She was obsessed. She was convinced that Utena was only testing her; that all she had to do was convince her that she was the one. "You've already seen Ayani's idea of convincing people. " Anthy nodded meekly and tightened her collar again. "She attacked Utena behind school one day. Luckily Utena was strong enough to resist and she ran home. A few people saw her torn uniform and questions started surfacing. Ayani tried to spread a rumor that Utena and she were having a secret love affair and that Utena had gotten a bit rough. Everyone knew it was total bullshit though. Utena's not the type to have a secret affair." Anthy looked away, sadly. She remembered the events with her brother.  
  
No, that wasn't Utena. That was the person her brother was trying to turn her into. The real Utena isn't like that.  
  
"Anyway, the truth got out and Ayani was arrested. She got out on a psych evaluation and had to go to a shrink. I think they should getter their money back. Damn quack! Anyway, Utena hasn't talked to anyone about it since the trial. She doesn't like to admit that someone could hurt her like that."  
  
"Yeah; I guess Utena isn't very likely to fall in love after that, huh? I mean, after all it was someone claiming to love her that did that to her."  
  
"I wouldn't be so sure about that."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Don't bullshit me Anthy. I thought we were close enough by now that you could trust me with the truth. I see the way you look at each other. You've got it bad for her." Anthy blushed and nodded. "I'm also sure that Utena feels it too. Sure Utena protects everyone, but she's never been that violent when someone she cares about is attacked. I also saw you two back at the rollercoaster before all this happened. She doesn't look at anyone like that. Doesn't touch anyone like that either."  
  
Anthy stopped and put her hand to her cheek, remembering how Utena's hand felt. She also remembered the kiss from earlier. Her blush and dreamy smile made Kei smile.  
  
"Thought so; of all the people to come into Utena's life, I think you're her favorite." They watched Utena coming back from the bathroom. They waved at her to give her an idea of where to go. "Utena just has some problems dealing with her emotions. She's a very vulnerable person. You'll have to tell her first."  
  
"Thank you Kei, for everything."  
  
"Nothing to it. I have to admit it, but of all the people to fall for Utena, you're my favorite too."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Later, after the food had been eaten and the conversation had taken on less intense topics; the three of them sat there. The band started playing again. This one was a slow song. Some of the dancers left the dance floor, taking the opportunity to take a rest. Utena spied the scene and turned back to Anthy.  
  
"Oii Himemiya, wanna dance?"  
  
"Um, yes." Anthy blushed again. So did Utena. Anthy took Utena's free hand and let herself be guided to the dance floor. The music was too slow for the complex waltzes they did back at Ohtori. Instead Utena wrapped her hands around Anthy's waist and pulled her close. Anthy wrapped her arms around Utena's neck. Their movements were slow, almost minimal. It was a sweet torture for them. Anthy let herself be lulled by Utena's steel blue eyes.  
  
"This is nice, huh Hime- Anthy?"  
  
"Hime, I like that."  
  
"You are a princess. So of course it'd fit."  
  
"I'm not princess. You know what I've done."  
  
"I don't care about all that. You're a princess to me."  
  
Anthy stared at her, wide eyed. Then she contented herself to lean her head against Utena's shoulder. She could smell her, and she relished in that. Utena could smell the rose scent of Anthy hair and sighed. They kept dancing for a long while. However, the song finally ended and the other patrons started exiting the dance floor. Utena took notice after someone bumped into them by accident. She stopped and Anthy stared up at her.  
  
"We should go back to our seats." Utena rasped. Her voice couldn't seem to work right.  
  
"Yes, maybe we should. " Anthy replied with a shaky voice. Utena turned to walk back to their seats, when she felt a tug on her arm. She looked back, and saw that her hand was still clasping Anthy's. She looked up and Anthy smiled. She squeezed Utena's hand and started walking. They didn't let go until they got back to the table  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
The group was walking dinner off when they came upon a rather large crowd, and it was still growing. Utena, Anthy and Kei managed to push their way to front, to find a man standing in the center of the circle, standing over a defeated opponent with a bokken in his hand.  
  
"Is there any fighter here who can best the great Yuuki Eiri na no ka? C'mon, there's gotta be one person here who can do it. The prize is seven hundred thousand yen. C'mon, do we have any takers?"  
  
Utena's eyes lit up, a duel was definitely up her alley. The only thing that would have been more of a sure thing would have been a basketball challenge. She turned to Anthy.  
  
"C'mon Hime, let's do it!"  
  
"Are you sure Utena? I mean; don't you hate to duel?"  
  
"Eh, dueling over you was one thing, but this guy's just using a bokken and it's not like I can lose anything important. Besides, it'll be just like old times."  
  
Anthy thought about it for a moment, and then walked over to the young man who was calling the fight. After talking to him for a moment, he handed her a bokken and went to talk to the duelist he had called Eiri. A bit of a conversation later, the boy nodded in Anthy's direction. She then proceeded to pull two roses out of her Kimono. She walked over to Eiri and pinned one to his shirt lapel. She then walked over to Utena and did the same. Utena stared down at her wide eyed till Anthy looked back up at her with a wiked gleam in her eye.  
  
"Here's to old times."  
  
Utena smirked and took her position. Eiri took his and the boy walked to the center.  
  
"The rules of this duel are simple. This is a duel with an unrestricted time limit. Whoever gets their rose knocked off their chest loses the duel. Do you understand?" Utena and Eiri merely nodded. "THEN…HAJIME NO DA!!!" With a flourish he dropped his hand and the duel began.  
  
Utena watched her opponent circle around, looking for a gap in her defenses. She turned to keep and eye on him. A bead of sweat gathered on her brow and traveled down her face. She heard her pulse quicken until that was all she could hear. Instead of the stance she normally took when she held the Dios no Ken, she took on a more traditional drawn sword stance.   
  
That bead of sweat that had been traveling down her face took a most unfortunate path and traveled into her eye. When she blinked to clear it, he made his move. Coming at her with a typical stabbing motion, intended to make her dodge and thus open herself up to a de-roseing. Utena did dodge, but further back than he would have imagined. Her eyes opened and he saw an intensity burning in them. Then she was gone, simply vanished. When he swerved his head to find where she went, he found her at the opposite end of the crowd. People were staring at her in awe. She should not have been able to move that fast. She turned to look at him slowly, a smirk on her face.  
  
Nthy had been watching what had been going on and the look on her face said that she knew what was going on with Utena's new speed. Kei whispered in her ear. "What's going on, how did she get so fast?" To which she replied. "Apparently, she finally became the prince she had been hoping for."  
  
Eiri had had enough. He lifted his sword into the ready position; Utena did the same. He charged her. He got no more than five steps before she vanished again. He felt the wind pass his body and when he looked down; his rose was fluttering to his feet. He turned to look behind him and there was Utena, standing with the wind blowing her hair in relaxed stance. She turned to face him as well and with a cheerful smile on her face said, "I win."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
The cab pulled in front of Utena's building sometime around one in the morning. The girls climbed out. Anthy stood and leaned against Utena. She was fighting to stay awake. Utena stroked her back. A slight wind passed and the small girl shivered. She burrowed into Utena for warmth.  
  
"Anthy."  
  
"Hmm."  
  
"I'm sorry about what Ayani did. It was inexcusable"  
  
"It's alright; she couldn't really hurt me anyway. But, there was one thing she said that cut deep."  
  
"What was it?"  
  
"She said that you'd never return my feelings."  
  
"What feelings?"  
  
Anthy looked up shyly. She wasn't sure if she should actually say it. Then she remembered Kei's words. Temporarily emboldened to speak. "Um, I love you?"  
  
Utena's heart stopped. She loved her. The little chibi Utena in her heart was doing back flips and hooting. She wanted to yell her joy from the highest mountain. To stop strangers on the street and tell them than Anthy loved her. Instead she smiled shyly and leaned in. Anthy stared at her with wide innocent eyes. She was afraid. What would she do when Utena rejected her? Her breathing became labored and butterflies fluttered about in her stomach. She licked her suddenly dry lips.  
  
"I-I love you too."  
  
Tears sprang from Anthy's eyes. Her smile was beautiful. She felt Utena kiss away her tears and laughed.  
  
"Working form memory, huh?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"You know, you say that far too much." Anthy declared as she leaned up. Utena met her halfway in a spectacular kiss.  
  
Somewhere out there, a small red thread began glowing brilliantly. If anyone looked they would have said that it was shining.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Utena stood there in her new uniform. She stared at herself. She was impressed as to what Anthy was able to accomplish.  
  
"I love it."  
  
"I knew you would."  
  
"I love you."  
  
"I'm glad."  
  
"Are you sure pink is the right color for it?"  
  
"I thought you loved it?"  
  
"Just asking!"  
  
Anthy made her way off of the bed, where she had been sitting and sidled up alongside her husband.  
  
"Now we're ready to face him."  
  
Utena's aunt came to the door then. She held up some papers for the girls.  
  
"These are your travel papers; the tickets and everything are included. You leave for the island in a few days."  
  
"Great; look out Ohtori, here I come!"  
  
"And she's wearing pink this time."  
  
"ANTHY!!!"  
  
"Calm down, Utena, it's a nice uniform."  
  
"Not you too Auntie?"  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Preview of Next Episode:  
  
Utena: Alright, it's time for the school year to begin and back to the grind of duels.  
  
Anthy: Who'd have thought that you'd have a duel your first day back?  
  
Utena: Don't worry Anthy; I won't let anything happen to you. Even if you are kidnapped I'll fight for you.  
  
Anthy: Why would you say something like that?  
  
Utena: I don't know  
  
Anthy: I'm jinxed now, I just know it!  
  
Utena: Don't worry about it. Next episode on Shoujo Kakumei Utena: Kakumei no Bara; Return to the Glorious Rose Covered Battlefield  
  
Anthy: It's the Absolute Destiny Apocalypse  
  
Note: I would just like to accredit April Eagle for the idea for the carnival scene. She wrote a fic called Just One Summer which I absolutely love. I actually have it printed out and in my library. I just hope this fiction does her vision justice. I wish to apologize to anyone I have offended in taking her idea. And if April Eagle is reaidng this...  
  
I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU   
  
Glad this is finally done. Now I get to go into the action sequences. Read and Review. This was specifically written for those people who read my first fic. From here on in, think of the new theme song as Hikari (Simple and Clean in English) By Utada Hikaru. Bai Bai 


	6. Return to the Glorious, Rose Colored Bat...

He stood in the blackened remains of what was once a rather grand home. In what was once a grand drawing room, he stopped and kneeled. He crossed himself and proceeded to make a prayer for those poor souls that had died there. After a long while, he stood and moved to the mantle at one end; the only structure still standing. He rustled through the wreckage till he pulled out an ancient chair that's just sturdy enough for him to stand on. After a long time he pulls it off; a giant, ornately decorated metal cross. It was covered in soot and dingy from dust. Other than that, it did not look like it had suffered under the flames that had destroyed the rest of the house or the years that had past since then with so much as a scratch. It looked too big to be lifted by human hands, yet he lifts it without any problem. He heard the sound of feet crunching charred wood and turns. There is a rather meek looking priest standing there.  
  
"Um, sir; should you be doing this? I mean, father Katsuhito did tell you to not come here again."  
  
"I have a reason to be here, Amagasaki." He said it as he lifted the cross high enough for the small man to see.  
  
"Oh sir, you shouldn't have that! Father Katsuhito would be most upset. He specifically told you not to come here to get THAT. Think of all he did for you after he found you… here."  
  
He merely turned his head, very slowly. Finally his eyes met the small man and they locked. The weaker cringed as he was forced to look in the eyes of the most dangerous person he ever had the opportunity to meet."  
  
You read the letter too. You know what I have to do; but you're too crippled with fear of father Katsuhito to actually do anything to help me out. I have a chance to save the world.  
  
"The a-affairs of the world are not ours."  
  
"Coward! You would be perfectly content to sit in your little monastery and let the world fall apart around you. You don't care about the fates of these people. You're happy just as long as you are safe. Pathetic excuse of a man." He gestured with the cross. "Look around you. This is what happens to those like you. This is what happens to people who ever have to cross paths with the Saint Killer."  
  
He walked off into the night. As he did, he dropped two things onto the charred floor. One was an invitation to join the duels of Ohtori; the other was a photograph. In it were two very aristocratic looking people and one child. The child looked amazingly similar to the figure moving away.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Shoujo Kakumei Utena: Kakumei no Bara  
  
Return to the Glorious Rose Covered Battlefield  
  
The birds were singing and the sun was shining. It was the perfect day to start school. In the distance, departing ships were setting sail after depositing their cargo of students onto this Shirobara Island. Not even Utena could feel the trepidation that had been plaguing her for the past few weeks. Anthy hummed happily besides her. She was wearing her old school uniform; they would receive this school's girls uniform today. Though Utena had no doubt as to Anthy's alteration to this new uniform. She also knew that no matter what, she would wear her uniform; the uniform Anthy had sewn for her. She ran her hands down the rose colored material and sighed.  
  
"You could have gone with the white you know."  
  
"The pink looks better on you."  
  
"HA! You admit it. It is pink."  
  
"Utena, I'm starting to think you don't like it." As Anthy said it, tears started welling up in her eyes. Utena panicked.  
  
"No, no it's not that. I like it I really do, but are you sure that the teachers are gonna be okay with it?" Anthy's tears dried up instantly. She had Utena wrapped around her finger. She reveled in the power she had over her husband, but managed to keep her normal calm exterior.  
  
"Don't worry about that. I am the chairman's sister. I'm sure I can arrange something."  
  
Utena merely groaned and walked on  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
They met Miki on a traffic overpass on the way to school. He was walking with Kozue. The twins had arrived on the island not long after them. Utena had not known how to react to Kozue pressing so tightly around Miki's arm, but had taken it in stride anyway. The couple sped up to meet the twins.  
  
"Oii, Miki-kun; wait up."  
  
"Eh? Oh Utena-san, Himemiya-san."  
  
"It's Tenjou-san now Miki-kun."  
  
The smaller boy scratched his head. He still wasn't used to calling her by Utena's family name. He was barely adjusting to the fact that they were married; to each other no less.  
  
"Sorry, it'll take me a while to get used to calling you that."  
  
"How about just calling me Anthy? You and I are close friends. I would consider it an honor if you would refer to me by name."  
  
"I-I can't do that. I mean you're older than me and you are… you are… you know.  
  
She merely giggled and kissed him on the cheek.  
  
"I was the Rose Bride; now I'm just another student, like you."  
  
"I'm not just another student."  
  
"No, I suppose you aren't." Anthy smiled and leaned back. She caught Kozue's eye as she glared at her. The girl's hungry, animal like eyes shone with something dark; almost threatening Anthy to stay away from her brother. Anthy fixed her with a stare of her own. Her eyes glittered with something almost evil. Kozue was taken aback. She closed her eyes and wagged a finger at her.  
  
"You are different."  
  
"I've been through many changed since we last met Kozue-chan." Anthy smiled again and sidled up alongside Utena.  
  
The group was so engrossed in their exchange that they barely noticed the slight rise of a rather small sound. Utena was the first to notice. She stuck her thumb in her ear to stop the ringing.  
  
"Oii, anyone else hear some sort of weird-"  
  
"Ringing;" Miki finished for her.  
  
"Actually it sounds more like…." Anthy couldn't quite place it.  
  
"Squealing." Kozue finished, calmly. She knew the sound well. "It sounds like girlish squealing."  
  
"Oh no." Utena stated. She just realized what was going on. Her eyes screwed shut and her entire body locked up. Anthy took a step back and motioned for Miki and Kozue to follow suit.  
  
"Utena-sama." Wakaba squealed as she burst through the crowd and flung herself at Utena's back. They impacted hard, and it took everything she had to keep from falling over.  
  
"ImissedyouImissedyouImissedyouImissedyouImissedyouImissedyouImissedyou!" She cried as she nuzzled into Utena's shoulder blades. Her arms and legs were wrapped around and locked. Utena was trying to pry her legs from around her waist. She looked over to Anthy, who only smiled and cocked her head.  
  
"Help me."  
  
"Nope, I think you owe it to her as her friend to handle this yourself."  
  
Utena sighed and turned her head, careful not to butt heads with Wakaba.  
  
"Wakaba, please get off of me."  
  
"No, not until we get to school. I haven't hugged you in so many months. I know you missed me. We're best friend and best friends don't go missing for months and don't say anything about it. Even when I got home, you didn't so much as hug me."  
  
"You ever wonder why?" Utena muttered under her breath, trying to keep her balance with the other girl on her back. "You're heavy ya'know."  
  
Utena chanced pleading with her wife for assistance, but found none. Sighing, defeated, she merely hitched her shoulders and started walking. Wakaba sighed happily and snuggled into Utena's back. There were certain advantages to using guilt.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"If a chick does not hatch from its egg, it will die without ever being born."  
  
"However; if it is born too early, it will die from exposure to the world."  
  
"A hen must then protect the egg to ensure that the chick is protected till it can truly be born."  
  
"We are the hens."  
  
"The world is the chick."  
  
"For the Protection of the World."  
  
They sat around in the newly built student council room. Each of them placed a different colored rose inside of a rather plain vase. Three roses sat inside. On the table sat a ring. It looked like the average rose signet, save the black stone in the center.  
  
"One of us is missing." Declared an attractive green haired woman in a kimono. She was at least three years younger than the others, placing her at Utena's age. Her tone almost demanded an explanation. How could someone be so rude as to be late to a student council meeting?  
  
"Ah yes, the black rose. Don't worry Kamari, he will be along shortly. His journey will take a while more. Do not worry; his absence will not delay us in any way."  
  
The woman merely sniffed and leaned back. She remained the perfect vision of refinement and femininity; all straight back and squared shoulders. The silver one's eyes then fixed on the other end of the table where another young man in navy blue sat. His long hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, he didn't even have bangs.  
  
"Tianquing, how do you feel about the situation?"  
  
"I don't really care about any of this. All I want to know is if this tournament will start soon. My sword itches for a fight."  
  
"Ah, ever ready to fight."  
  
"The sooner we start, the sooner I can win and get what I want."  
  
"Oh," The silver one said with mocking wide eyes. "And what exactly is it that you want?"  
  
All received was a glare through Tianquing's eye brows. "That, Saito…is none of your concern."  
  
Finally Tianquing got up from the table and moved to the door. He didn't look back as he spoke.  
  
"If that's all the business we have to discuss then I'll be going."  
  
"But it's not all the business we have to discuss." Saito said, leaning against the desk. He enjoyed watching Tianquing stop dead in his tracks. His head turned and he looked over his shoulder. "Oh?" He asked, confused.  
  
"Yes, we still have one more matter to attend to." He said as he lifted some papers from the table. "We still have to plan the school's inaugural ball. This is one of our roles as the student council." His smile grew as he watched Tianquing wilt. He fixed Saito with a dull gaze.  
  
"You're not serious, are you?"  
  
Saito merely shrugged and watched as the angry one fell flat on his face.   
  
Kamari giggled behind her hand. She hand't had this much fun in ages. She was going to enjoy this tournament and maybe earn some respect for her family; an old samurai clan.  
  
And thus for the next hour, three people argued over the arrangements for a school dance. In the distance an alarm could be heard going off, announcing a coming train. Even further in the distance the train could be seen picking up speed as it left the station.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Utena and Anthy sat down to lunch. The cafeteria looked almost completely like the one at the other campus, the only difference being the large glass panes keeping the weather outside. Anthy stared at the small parcel on the desk in front of her while Utena nursed a can of soda. She turned to see Anthy idling with her ring.  
  
"Aw c'mon hime, how bad can the uniform possibly be?"  
  
All Anthy did was move her chair back and gesture at the uniform she was currently wearing. Utena noted it with one part understanding and the other part approval. She noted the way the skirt rode up just a bit, exposing more of Anthy's thighs. She was starting to stare and was working very hard to resist the urge to drool.  
  
Anthy did not miss Utena's gaze and felt her cheeks burn. She decided to play a little game with her love. She moved to fix the skirt, but instead moved it further up. She grew smug as she saw Utena shift further to the end of her seat. She leaned over, pretending to look for something and spread her thighs, giving Utena a nice view.  
  
"Would you two mind now doing that, it's disturbing" Miki said from his seat, next To Anthy, he was trying to avert his eyes to the scene, but it just interested him too much. In his lap, Kozue wrapped her arms around him and glared at Anthy more.  
  
"Yes quite, we don't need you too rutting on the table now," Juri said as she took a sip of her coffee. She saw the two them stiffen and shoot back to their normal positions, blushing a very interesting shade of red. A ghost of a smirk flitted across her face and she took the time to notice Sakaya adjusting her uniform. The red collar and skirt of the uniform were definitely different, and the gloves were a curiosity all to themselves; opera length with buckles at the top. Tight leggings ran from ankle to underneath the skirts, preventing the cold weather from getting inside. "Anyway, the outfit isn't so bad, at least it covers more." She pointed to the side where other girls were wearing their uniforms. Juri was right, it did cover more, but it was like some sick fetish, covering everything but hiding nothing. Anthy merely looked and blinked.  
  
"Now that I look at it; it is rather cute," she exclaimed and everyone else fell over. Utena struggled to the table first.  
  
"You can take her out of the school, remove the ties that bind, and show her brother for the insensitive prick that he is; but you can't take the weirdness out of her." Miki and Juri only nodded. Anthy only continued to smile, her eyes closed and her hands clasped under her chin. Sakaya and Kozue merely fidgeted with their outfits.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Touga walked the corridors of the building, getting acquainted with his new environment. Stopping in front of the door with Vice-Chairperson printed on it, he took a moment to adjust his uniform before entering.  
  
"eh-hem; I was told that you wanted to see me Ma'am."  
  
"Ah yes, Kiryuu-kun; its good to see you! Come inside. Take a seat."  
  
Touga happily complied, taking the offered seat and looking around ,surveying the structured disorder of this woman's office, so unlike her brother's.   
  
"May I ask Ma'am-"  
  
"Please, call me Kami."  
  
"I'm sorry, but I don't have quiten enough respect for you yet to refer to you as such."  
  
"Don't be a smartass, it doesn't suit you."  
  
"I apologize."  
  
"Anyway; I called you in here because we're both in a bit of a bind. You with having left your father's company so abruptly, and me with not having any form of an assistant right now."  
  
"Just what are you getting at."  
  
"Tell me Kiryuu-kun, how would you like to work in education?"  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Anthy was walking to her second to last period of the day. She was walking with a girl from her class. They chatted amiably, about each other's history; well the girl's history and bit's and pieces rearranged to maintain the illusion that Anthy was an average high school student. The amiable conversation stopped suddenly as Anthy's acquaintance was smacked harshly in the face by a shadow. Anthy watched in horror as the girl flew across to the other end of the hallway. He took two steps back from her assailant, but it was too late. The figure leapt up from the shadows and grabbed her. She felt a cloth cover her mouth and soon she was breathing chloroform. The world spun around her and she saw black.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Utena walked to her last period class of the day. Her anticipation to get out was growing. The remembered another fact that made her speed up more.  
  
She had her last class with Anthy.  
  
As she got to the classroom she noticed something odd. There was a pretty big crowd forming around the door and hushed murmurs greeted her ears. She turned to one of the students who looked to be explaining to some people and motioned for him to explain.  
  
"It's pretty bad; someone killed one of the teachers and wrecked the classroom."  
  
Utena's eyes snapped open. What if Anthy were in there when it happened. She pushed her way to the front of the crowd. A few police were mulling about, casting glances at a letter on the door. Utena rushed past them and grabbed the letter off of the door. She just knew that it was for her. They always were.  
  
"Hey, you can't come in here, that's evidence!"  
  
Utena spun around and presented the letter to him. She also held up her identification card.  
  
"D'ya see who this letter is addressed to? It's for Tenjou Utena. D'ya see whose name is on this card; it's Tenjou Utena! It's mine; so I'd suggest you back off!"  
  
The crazed look in Utena's eye was enough to get the officers to back off. She ripped open the envelope and pulled out the paper.  
  
There are some people who say it's not nearly as bad as you can imagine it to be. These are the same people who believe that things can't actually get any worse when it does happen…  
  
…Those people are assholes.  
  
The letter was simple enough to follow. Someone had Anthy and they wanted Utena to meet them in the greenhouse by the fountain. It wasn't even signed. That was inconsiderate. Utena crumpled the paper in her hands and dropped it as she started walking towards her locker. She was going to need her sword if she was going to fight.  
  
The officers watched her drop the letter. They saw her drop it and spared a glance at it. They had to ask her questions about what it said. When they looked up again, she was gone.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
The school's new greenhouse was enormous. It was an entire building, shaped like a silo. Vines and other plants sat in pots, just having been planted. In the center was a beautiful fountain. If anyone had looked down at it from the ceiling they would have seen a rose crest. None of this was noticed as Utena rushed into the building, screaming Anthy's name.  
  
"Anthy! Hime, where are you?!?"  
  
"Utena-sama!"  
  
Anthy didn't call her Utena-sama unless she was really scared these days. As Utena neared the fountain, she saw something that made her blood run cold.  
  
"Hello, my dear Utena-chan." Ayani purred from where she stood. She was wearing a pale yellow duelist's outfit, and had Anthy handcuffed at her side. She was maintaining control with a firm grasp on Anthy's long hair.  
  
"Ayani!"  
  
"Utena, please save me!" Anthy's cry was punctuated as Ayani pulled hard on Anthy's hair. The smaller girl screamed and followed her hair.  
  
"Shut up cunt!"  
  
"Ayani, what the hell is this?" Utena said it as she readied her sword to attack. She was stopped as Ayani started laughing.  
  
"What in god's name is that? Are you going to hit me with your stick?" Utena's temper sparked higher and she took a step to attack.  
  
"No, not just yet Utena." Ayani lifted her hand and revealed a rose signet. "Like it? I got it in the mail. It came with a letter telling me to wear the outfit and lure you here. It also said to do this." She punctuated the remark by putting her ring in one of the twelve pillars surrounding the fountain.  
  
There was an enormous rush of water as the edges of the fountain sprayed into the air. A rose gate rose up from the depths of the fountain and opened for Ayani. She stepped backwards into it and dragged Anthy with her. Utena ran to stop them from getting in when the doors slammed shut in her face. She impacted fists first. She tried to put her ring to the door, but realized that she wasn't wearing one. She looked down at her naked finger with a feeling of impotence. Panic rose in her and she started pounding on the door.  
  
"Let me in! Let me in! Let me in! Let me in! Please let me in!" Utena started sobbing as she banged her head against it on the last tries, sobbing. Her tears ran unchecked as she begged the gate to let her enter.   
  
Then a miracle happened that not even Juri could dispute.   
  
A single drop flew from the gate. It fell to Utena's chest and splattered. Suddenly, a holy light built within Utena's breast in the shape of a rose signet. A beam of light connected the key mechanism on the gate to Utena's chest and a small bubble emerged from her breast. Then the light dissipated and a small gold ring fell from where the bubble had been. Utena's tearful eyes spied the ring as it hit the floor. It was a beautiful gold ring with a pink rose signet in the center.  
  
Hope had been restored to her.  
  
She immediately snatched up the ring and started to slide on the finger. As she did a figure somewhere, sleeping on an egg stirred. Its stone eyes started opening. It was responding to its new prince. As the ring slid further on, its eyes opened further. When the ring was all the way on, its eyes opened completely and their eerie green glow signaled something. The gates flew open and the resulting wind pushed Utena back. When the wind had passed, she looked inside. There was darkness on the other end of the gate.  
  
"That can't be, there shouldn't be anything behind that gate but the water fountain."  
  
Deny it as she might, Utena saw a dark chamber behind the rose gate and she intended to enter it.  
  
"It's only an illusion created by Akio. I can handle this."  
  
It was all she had to comfort herself as she stepped into the darkness. She looked around as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. It was a small round chamber; with a rose emblem in the center. Utena walked onto the emblem and waited. As she expected the disk started rising very fast. She felt heavy as it rose higher and higher into the sky. Then day broke.  
  
She slammed to a stop in the arena. It was bright out, contrasting painfully to the pitch black of the chamber. She looked around to see the arena. It looked exactly the same as she remembered it. Exactly the same except for the young ladies standing on the far edge of the stadium.  
  
"Ayani, let Anthy go!"  
  
Ayani smirked at the comment. "No, I think not. I won't just let her go."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"I won't just let her go. Of course, you could duel me for her."  
  
"I won't duel you for her. The police are waiting for you down there. When they get up here-"  
  
"They won't get up here! Or have you forgotten? Only qualified persons are allowed in here. It said so in the letter." Ayani lifted her ring and laughed. Utena gritted her teeth. She had no choice, she had to do it.  
  
She started unsheathing her bokken. As it came out, Ayani's smile grew, until she looked insane. When it was finally out, the bell started ringing. It was time to start the duel.  
  
She released Anthy and pushed her on.  
  
"Do your job 'rose bride,' get the roses."  
  
Anthy complied and went to prepare them. She placed Ayani's rose on her chest and walked over to Utena.  
  
"Please be careful." She placed Utena's rose on her chest and leaned against her. Utena tilted her head up and looked in her eyes.  
  
"Don't worry, I won't leave you." And she kissed her. When Utena looked up, she was smiling; Ayani was fuming though. She started rushing Utena right away.  
  
"Prepare to die!"  
  
Utena saw the rush and threw Anthy to the side. She picked up her sword and prepared to intercept the blow. Ayani swung and Utena blocked. Thankfully, her sword didn't break. They backed off and advanced again. Again their swords clashed and again Utena's bokken didn't break.  
  
"Hey, this thing is full of surprises. It's more than just some cheap hunk of wood." Utena's confidence grew as the worth of her sword was proven.  
  
"Go Utena!" Anthy cheered from the sidelines. She stopped for a second, this moment felt very familiar.  
  
Now it was Utena's chance to attack. She dashed and took several shots at Ayani's sword. Ayani backed off and tried a thrust. Utena dodged and tried to thrust through the break In Ayani's defenses. She backed off and swung her sword around. He rage had been steadily growing since the beginning of the fight. Now she was raging. She hefted he sword, preparing to use a death swing. Anthy's eyes widened; you were not supposed to strike to kill. They dashed again and Utena managed to block her attack at just the last second. Her eyes widened in horror as she saw chunks of wood go flying up. However, she couldn't stop since Ayani was still pushing. She pushed back hoping to hold it off till she could think of an alternative. Then something amazing happened. With a final push, she managed to push Ayani back; and saw the edge of Ayani's sword go flying. It had been sliced clean off. Utena looked down, shocked. In the sword, beneath the chunks that had been broken off, was a metal blade.  
  
Ayani couldn't take it; she was going to lose Utena again. She looked down and glared at Anthy. It would be that girl that Utena would go home with. It would be that girl who got to hear Utena tell her that she loved her. She couldn't allow it. That girl had to die.  
  
With what was left of her blade, she decided on a new strategy. She ran at the Rose Bride with an insane cry. Utena saw the attack and reacted. She threw herself in front of Anthy and dashed again. She had no choice but to strike with everything she had. She felt a familiar rush as a power she had though long since extinguished came into her body, feeling more right and more hers than ever before. She did not notice the slight glow her body took as it vanished from normal time.  
  
Anthy barely saw what happened. She saw Utena jump in front of her and then there was a blur. The next thing she new Ayani was flying across the arena. There was a large slice across the front of her uniform and the pieces of her rose were flying around. She looked a few feet in the other direction and saw Utena crouched, the sword thrown to her side.  
  
Utena was tired, she had thrown everything she had into that final slash and couldn't even bring herself to stand. Her body was quivering with exhaustion. She was gripping the sword so tightly she was sure that her hand was broken. She looked to the sword and saw cracks start to form all around the length of the sword. She loosened her hand and the sword shattered. Thousands of wooden chunks flew everywhere and something fell out. From the remains of the bokken fell a beautiful katana blade. It stabbed itself into the ground before the two girls. On its handle was inscribed the words "Bara no Ken."  
  
"Anthy, what is this?"  
  
"I don't know, but I think this is the real surprise that your aunt mentioned."  
  
"A sword."  
  
"Indeed."  
  
Ayani only groaned from where she lay, unconscious.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
The police took Ayani away, handcuffed. She had confessed to everything, and Anthy's testimony was enough to start things along. As she was driven away in a squad car, Anthy was having her statements taken by the police.  
  
"Are you sure that you don't want us to take you to a hospital." A young officer said as he noted the shivering Anthy. She had Utena's uniform jacket wrapped around her shoulders and she leaned against her beloved.  
  
"No, it's all right. I have sustained no injury and I'd rather just go home. It's been a long day for me." She yawned the last part out and put more of her weight on Utena, who had a strange wrapped package in her other hand. She waved her hand and a strange glazed expression came upon the officers face.  
  
"Okay, have a nice day now." The officer gave up and walked back to the others. As he was walking away, Utena addressed Anthy.  
  
"What are you, a Jedi?"  
  
"Maybe; like I said, I just want to go home. We can rest and maybe have a look at that sword."  
  
Utena looked down at the package in her hand. "Yeah, maybe we should." In the distance, a ships horn was blaring that it was coming into port.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
In the chairman's tower, Akio and Kanae sat in a movie theater, watching the proceeding on a movie screen. He munched absently on a bag of popcorn.  
  
"This was quite a show, Akio-sama."  
  
"Indeed dear wife; it was a fine show."  
  
"When do you think we should start transmitting to the rest of the school?"  
  
"I think we should start at the qualifying round." Kami's voice piped in from the back of the theater. The shadows parted and she was revealed, with her feet propped on the chair in front of her.  
  
"Indeed dear sister, starting with the qualifiers is a fine idea. It will give the students a chance to garner support."  
  
"It will be a fine show."  
  
They sat there, contemplating their next move. They sat there, long after the projector had shut off and cast them into darkness.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Preview of Next Episode:  
  
Kami: I'm sure you have lots of questions as to what's going on. Don't worry I'll answer them all.  
  
Utena: You can answer my questions? Who are you anyway? What's going on? Why did Ayani have a ring? Who's behind this?  
  
Kami: Don't worry, all will be revealed in time. You just need to wait a little longer  
  
Anthy: How much longer?  
  
Kami: Only about a week more.  
  
Utena: A WEEK?!?!  
  
Kami: We still have to wait for one more person to arrive. Then we can start it.  
  
Utena: Start what?!?!  
  
Kami: Only a week more.  
  
Utena: Why me? Next time on Shoujo Kakumei Utena: Kakuei no Bara. Tournament Start; The Ladder to the Chairman's Wing.  
  
Anthy: It's the Absolute Destiny Apocalypse.  
  
Notes: The new duelists are almost all here. I'm having fun coming up with the characters. I'm having a bit of trouble coming up with the layout for the duels, but it should get easier with time. Tell me what you guys think of them. I'm going to add on some explanations as to who each character is and what you should know.  
  
Chiho Saito: Silver hair- Silver ring – He's the student council president. A zealous scientist who analyses every situation.  
  
Tianquing Han: Navy Blue hair – Navy Blue ring – He's the vice president of the student council with a warrior's spirit. He comes off as violent and angry. He is obsessed with honor and will duel to fulfill is honor.  
  
Kamari: Green hair – Green ring – She's the student council secretary. She is also an honor driven soul. She is a firm believer in the old traditions ingrained in her by her family. Her hair is Sayonji's color, but Touga's shape. She has a love of kendo that can rival Sayonji's 


	7. Tournament Start: The Ladder to the Chai...

"Kashira Kashira Dozonai Kashira"  
  
"Once upon a time, a noble prince gave a despairing princess a ring after the death of her parents."  
  
"So impressed was she by his nobility that she vowed to become a prince one day herself."  
  
"One day she entered a kingdom where a princess was being fought over by many princes."  
  
"Oh brave prince; she saved the princess, but was dragged into the battle herself."  
  
"She saved the princess, but at a very high cost."  
  
"In the end however, the prince and the princess were together."  
  
"Who said it was the end?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"They are together, yes; but the game isn't over. The prince still fights, so the story isn't over."  
  
"Oh, poor Utena-kun."  
  
"Prince, call her prince! No names, remember?"  
  
"Oops."  
  
"Kashira, Kashira, Dozonai Kashira"  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Shoujo Kakumei Utena: Kakumei no Bara  
  
Tournament Start; The Ladder to the Chairman's Wing  
  
Utena sat on the balcony of her dorm room, looking out into the shoreline of Shirobara island. In her hand she held the completed Kakumei no Ken. She moonlight glinted off the perfect Katana. Next to her sat a box that had come in the mail form her aunt not too long ago. It was a velvet box that lay open. Inside the velvet lining had been a hilt, screws, wrapping, a sheath, and a lavishly decorated hand guard, shaped like a rose signet. On the paper that had been wrapped around the box was printed the name Tenjou Yurika and an address in Hou-ou-shi prefecture.  
  
She remembered the events that lead up to her being in that particular spot at that particular moment. It was just after the duel with Ayani. As the police were taking her away, Utena and Anthy were sitting on the hood of some officers car. Utena had not even bothered to ask his name. As they sat there a strange woman approached the two of them with an envelope. Unlike the ones she had been getting lately, this one had been gold, with a different name printed on it…End of all Life. The woman did not have much to say.  
  
"if you want to know why Akio has started new duels, why the change in venue and how this girl got a duelist ring, meet me in the address specified tomorrow."  
  
So now Utena sat there, staring at this new sword pondering over what she had learned. However, even with this new data, she still had the same question buzzing through her head that had been there since day one.  
  
"What the hell is going on?"  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Wakaba circled around her opponent. He was very strong and Wakaba was more than a little worried that he might just beat her. If that happened then all the effort she had placed into coming here would have been for nothing.  
  
She had been coming in to school the next day, worried more about finding Utena than anything else. She'd heard from reliable sources that Utena had gotten into a duel yesterday with Ayani; and anything with Ayani made Wakaba worry about Utena. As such, she was coming inside when she saw Utena siting on a bench looking sleepy. Anthy at next to her, hear head burrowed into Utena's neck.  
  
"Utena-sama?" Wakaba asked, concerned. In front of her, Utena turned to face her and gave a big yawn.  
  
"Ohayo Wakaba;" Utena opened her eyes and saw the look in the smaller girls. "I guess you heard the news by now." Wakaba nodded vehemently. The look of concern on her face growing. She watched Utena stand and move in front of her. The prince spread her arms out wide and addressed her friend.  
  
"As you can see, I am perfectly fine. Everything is attached and accounted for."  
  
"Then why do you look so exhausted?" Utena at least had the decency to blush. "Ewwww!"  
  
"What; it's only natural that a married couple would do that." Anthy murmured from her spot on the bench. She had fallen over when Utena got up and curled into a ball in the warm spot Utena left.  
  
"I don't need to hear that." Wakaba said, turning green. This was quite appropriate, since she now matched the head of hair behind her.  
  
"Tenjou."  
  
"Sayonji-senpai"  
  
Having finished addressing each other; Sayonji took Wakaba by the shoulders and pulled her into himself' a sign of possession if ever Utena had seen one. Behind her Anthy picked her head up to speak.  
  
"Utena-otto; tell them about the letter."  
  
"Letter" Wakaba asked, turning to Utena.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
In a darkened basement of Ohtori Academy's Hou-oh-shi campus, a spaceship landed and three girls stepped out. Kageshoujo A-ko thrust her makeshift sword into the air.  
  
"Oh brave prince, we have arrived. It is our job to help you defeat the evil dragon!"  
  
"Dragon? You didn't say anything about any dragon. You said it was an evil king."  
  
"I thought it a sorcerer." C-ko added from her end. She scratched her head and looked around. A moment later she shrieked in horror. A-ko and B-ko both turned and looked where her eyes were pointed. They shrieked as well as they noted a rather large object behind them. It was an evil sorcerer king riding a dragon.  
  
"Haha, I am the evil sorcerer king riding a dragon. I have come to kill the prince."  
  
"Hehe, who knew I was right?" A-ko laughed weakly. She and the other girls started backing off slowly.  
  
"What do we do now?"  
  
"What else should we do? We run!"  
  
As they ran off, the evil sorcerer king riding a dragon laughed manically and gave chase. Just before the lights went out, you heard the girls panicked voices in the background.  
  
"Kashira, Kashira, Dozonai Kashira!"  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Touga sat on one of of Kami's desk, waiting for his employer to return. After a minute or two, she stepped into the room. Walking past him to her seat, she dropped a gold envelope on the desk in front of him. He picked it up and scanned the face of it, taking not e of the name.  
  
"Take this to the South building and wait for the others. Don't tell them anything yet. I have my own way of presenting things. I need that maintained. Do you understand?"  
  
"So you want me to be your agent."  
  
"Not exactly, I just need you to make sure they come. If this is going to work; I need them to all be there."  
  
"If what is going to work?"  
  
"I'll tell you in due time Kiryuu, just worry about your mission right now."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Kozue rolled over and straddled Miki's chest. She could feel his body heat, even through her uniform. Her eyes seemed to promise love and violence at the same time. Miki was afraid of her at that moment, yet he couldn't seem to leave. He was afraid of it, but he wanted it too… badly.  
  
"Who do you belong to?" It was a simple question; most likely answered with "no one" by anyone else. However, it was the tone she used that told Miki that she wanted another answer; that answer was also obvious.  
  
"You;" he rasped as he spoke, he couldn't get his breathing to steady. She rocked against his chest and her breathing started deepening. They were about to work themselves into a frenzy when the doorbell rang. With an almost feral snarl, Kozue got up and walked to the door. Whoever had bothered them would be getting an earful.  
  
When she got back, she was pale and shaking. She held a gold envelope in her hands. The way her hands were shaking, you'd think it weighed several pounds, not the ounce or so it actually did.  
  
"Kozue-chan, what is it?"  
  
"M-Miki…" All she could do was hand him the letter and sit on the bed; she leaned against him as he opened it and read it. A hand wrapped around her and when he was done he kissed her on the forehead.  
  
"Please don't."  
  
"I have to Kozue, a lot of people count on me."  
  
"I count on you."  
  
"Don't worry, I won't let it happened to you again. No matter what, I will protect you."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
The great south tower looked like some great gothic church. It even came complete with the flying buttresses and gargoyles. It was quite beautiful; especially with the giant stained glass rose seal on the facade. Utena arrived to find her compatriots waiting for her. Their new uniforms were crisp and bright. Their swords were all either polished or being polished. Even Touga stood to the side, in his black uniform. Utena and Anthy walked determinately over to them.  
  
"It's time."  
  
"If we have to." Miki whispered from where he stood, he looked depressed.  
  
"Do we have to?" Wakaba looked worried. She squirmed with all the nervous energy.  
  
"We have to." Sayonji answered. "I'm ready." He finished wiping his katana and sheathed it.  
  
"Let's go" …Juri  
  
"Indeed" … Touga  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
They entered a nondescript classroom and glanced around. It didn't look very different from other classrooms and that's how they knew something was wrong. Classrooms at Ohtori never looked ordinary.  
  
"Hello, is there anyone here?" Nanami, ever the thinker, yelled blindly into the room, hoping to evoke a response. It worked; the lights went out.  
  
"Eek!" There was a high pitched squeal and the sound of desks being knocked over resounded through the room.  
  
"Miki, please let go of my waist; and don't scream like that, it's undignified." Juri tried to at least loosen the boys grip  
  
"Wakaba; while I am glad that you are touching me willingly. I simply must tell you that I am not Sayonji." Touga was a little wary, but nonetheless happy. He could never turn down a hug from an attractive young girl.  
  
"Anthy could you please stop, this isn't the time and place for this." Utena swore she could hear the others sweat drop.  
  
Then the room was illuminated as several screens started projecting. On each screen was footage of a duel that each of them had had with Utena. They moved, slipped, thrust and in the end took a back step as Utena performed her unbeatable thrust. All the duels ended with that same thrust, and just As Utena passed, the projectors shut off. The lights went back on, and a woman stood in the center of all of the screens.  
  
"Hello duelists."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"Akio has set up special provisions around himself to ensure his safety. He's made it so you just can't waltz in and challenge him to a duel."  
  
Utena turned to the strange woman. "So, how exactly do we get into the chairman's tower?"  
  
"The only way is to get to the highest level in the tournament."  
  
"Level?" Juri sat back in her seat and crossed her arms.  
  
"So, it's a ladder tournament; like last time." Miki was on the edge of his seat.  
  
"Not exactly."  
  
"Not exactly?" Nanami was starting to get irritated. "Then what's different?"  
  
The woman held out a small pocket watch. "This is. It's the seal watch of the victor."  
  
"A seal watch does not seem to be so great a difference." Juri was starting to get upset herself; who was this woman to bother them of such trivial things.  
  
The woman merely glared at Juri and clicked it open. The first thing they all noticed was the rose seal inside the watch; the next thing was the total lack of numbers. There were no indications of where the hours were.  
  
"This seal watch is more than just a nice prize for the victor; it is also a status chart. As you progress further up the levels, chips will be added. Each chip will be specially covered for each rose you cut off. When the watch is full you may then enter the chairman's tower. However; if you lose, the chips return to their owners and you start again. It continues like that until someone completes the watch." The woman turned and regarded each of them. "Come with me if you want to see the rest of the changes." She then got up and moved towards the door. The duelists all stood and moved after her.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Saito and Kamari sat on the edge of the fountain playing card games. Tianquing was pacing in front of them, obviously growing impatient.  
  
"How can you two be so calm? We're about to start the tournament."  
  
"Correction dear Tianquing;" Saito said and he rearranged his hand. "We're about to meet the other duelists and start the qualifying round. The tournament does not start till all the slots are full. Do you have any threes?"  
  
"Indeed, so please try to be patient; please. Go fish."  
  
"Damn."  
  
Tianquing growled, his patients were running thin. If someone didn't show up soon he was going to go mad. Then he heard the voice from the far end of the building.  
  
"Ano, hello? Am I in the right place; am I yet?  
  
Tianquing could have sworn the voice had come from a woman, it was so high. He might even have guessed it to belong to a boy; but when he caught sight of the interloper, he instead saw a man about the same age as he. He was all man, seeing the cut of his uniform; and he was carrying what had to be the biggest cross he had ever seen. Then his rose signet glinted off the sunlight streaming through the glass. Saito looked up and smiled.  
  
"Oh good, you've arrived. Come; let me introduce you to your fellow student council members." He sidled up alongside the young man and led him to the fountain. "This is Kamari, our secretary, and the vice president Tianquing. Everyone I'd like you to meet our newest members, Sagara Cross."  
  
"Karasu?" Kamari had trouble wrapping her mouth around the name.  
  
"Cross; I don't like shiny things so much; no I don't." He replied. He looked around. They seemed to be almost appraising him. He met them stare for stare. The one called Tianquing finally returned to his pacing. The girl smiled at him, friendly.  
  
"Would you like to join us in a game of cards?"  
  
"I'd be delighted; yes I would!"  
  
The other duelists, entered the greenhouse then, looking curios and apprehensive. Utena kept going for her sidearm, hoping that nothing happened, and yet strangely hoping something would. Juri seemed to tense up. Kami walked a bit ahead of them and greeted the student council. Turning back, she addressed her charges.  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen of the old student council; I'd like you to meet the new student council. I believe I should make the introductions." She tured and Touga nodded his approval. With a sweeping motion, she began pointing out the different duelists. "On our left is vice president Tianquing Han, birthplace China and a most gifted swordsman with a Chinese sword."  
  
"Feh, the only kind worth using in this pathetic island nation."  
  
"To his right is our treasurer Hinai Kamari; born in Kyoto prefecture."  
  
"It is a pleasure, I would be honored to duel you all one day."  
  
"To her right is our newly arrived secretary, Sagara Cross."  
  
"Glad to be here, yes I am"  
  
"And with no further ado; and with no lack of flourish, I present to you our student council president. A student and Tokyo university, transferred to our college program. I present Chiho Saitoh."  
  
"Greetings."  
  
Utena leaned in to Anthy and whispered out of the side of her mouth. "Looks like the last group of wierdos; only different colors." To which a nearby Juri whispered. "Do try to be a little more discreet Tenjou-kun; some of the other wierdos could be listening." Utena jerked and straightened. Anthy smiled slyly. "Busted."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Behind silk screen doors, three girls ran from a pursuer they had left long ago. Stopping in the middle, they took a minute to catch their breath.  
  
"Kashira Kashira Dozonai Kashira…do you think we lost him?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
Suddenly, Akio walked onscreen and stood there, relaxed as always.  
  
"Excuse me ladies, can I be of service."  
  
"Eh... no thank you mister chairman. Erm, what are you doing here?"  
  
"Well, I just came to offer you ladies a job."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
After a few minute of getting to know one another, Kami, moved over to the pillar Utena had seen the other day and pressed a ring in. As before, the gate opened up from the fountain and burst open. On her request the duelists were ushered inside and the gondola began rising up to the arena.  
  
"this gondola is not the oen we will be using for the tournament. It is smoother, but it lacks the speed to get you to the arena. So, by the start of the normal tournament, it will be fully prepared.  
  
When they got to the top of the elevator, they were all at a peak of curiosity to see what had brought them up there. As far as they could tell, there was nothing remarkable in the arena. They all dismounted the elevator and started wandering. Amidst the wandering Kami stood in a corner and clapped her hands. Suddenly, hundred of screen, large and small opened up all over the arena. There were so many that many of them overlapped others. All of them were of Akio, sitting in his office, staring at them.  
  
"Hello duelists."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Preview of Next Episode:  
  
Akio: Hello duelsits'; I bet you're just itching to find out what happens next.  
  
Utena: Damn right, you'd better talk.  
  
Akio: My my; such impatience. Well relax, we're almost done explaining.  
  
Anthy: Hello onii-sama^^  
  
Akio: Hello Anthy^^. As I was saying, all I need to explain is a small point and then we can begin.  
  
Utena: Okay…. Hey who's the big guy on the screen and how come Wakaba's shaking like that. What? She 's gotta fight him!  
  
Wakaba: Whaaaaa! I don't wanna die!  
  
Sayonji: Have courage Wakaba; you will persevere.  
  
Utena: Hey! What are you two doing on my preview section? Get outta here!  
  
Anthy^^: Next time on Shoujo Kakumei Utena: Kakumei no Bara; An ordinary star can shine; Wakaba's rise to the top! Don't miss it. It's the Absolute Destiny Apocalypse.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Omake Omake Omake!!  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
When they got to the top of the elevator, they were all at a peak of curiosity to see what had brought them up there. As far as they could tell, there was nothing remarkable in the arena. They all dismounted the elevator and started wandering. Amidst the wandering Kami stood in a corner and clapped her hands. Suddenly hundreds of Vid-Windows opened. There were so many that many of them overlapped others. In each of them was Megabyte, sitting and staring out into the world.  
  
Megabyte: "Hello Bob."  
  
All: "…"  
  
Megabyte: "Erm, Bob? Is this the right address?"  
  
Anthy: "Um, no. Sorry ^^O"  
  
Wakaba: "Who's Bob?"  
  
Megabyte: "Sorry to bother you, I'll just be hanging up now. Good day to you"  
  
Megabyte's windows close, leaving all present, stupefied. Kami merely held her hands together in the same position she had them in when she clapped.  
  
Kami: "I really must get a more distinct address; that's the third time this has happened so far."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Well. I made my story a little less like total crap. So now, I can move ahead. Sorry for the shortness of this chapter. Also any suggestions for duelist types and other things please email me at DiCyfer@aol.com or use aim if you see my name. Here's an interesting contest for my fans. Please write an opening for this series using the song Hikari from Utada Hikaru alias the kingdom hearts theme. Remember, nothing too graphic or out of character. Also feel free to use semi-reversals of parts of the first opening. If you want to put spoilers in it to tease fans and I'll tell you some things that may actually be useful for an opening. Well, that's it for now, bye bye. 


	8. An Ordinary Girl Can Shine Wakaba's Rise...

Wakaba circled her opponent again. She couldn't find one opening in his defense. The cut on her arm hurt from where he had taken a swipe at her, but her rose was still pinned in place. Suddenly, he took a side step and stumbled in a crack in the floor. His attention diverted Wakaba cried out and lunged.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
S.K.U.; Kakumei no Bara:  
  
An Ordinary Star Can Shine; Wakaba's Rise to the Top!  
  
They stared up at the reflection of Akio, having listened to enough of his speech to want to know what he had planned now. Utena kept clenching and unclenching her fists. He would pay for what he did to her. She would make sure of that. The next moment however, she felt a slim hand twin with her own. Dark fingers curled around her lighter ones and in turning, deep green eyes looked reassuringly into her blue ones. Utena sighed and returned her gaze to the screen.  
  
"Now, lets get on to business shall we Onii-sama." Kami said while holding up a piece of paper. On the screen, Akio nodded his agreement.  
  
"Yes, lets. On the agenda today is figuring out who will be going next in the preliminary rounds. Now, we've discussed it for quite some time and we've come to the conclusion that there is really only one logical person who should go next. Considering she's never been a duelist before, we felt it would only be fair to test Shinohara-san on her qualifications. Therefore; tomorrow evening, Shinohara Wakaba will duel for her place in this tournament. Followed the next evening by Kiyoichi Saionji, Kaoru Miki, Arisugawa Juri, Kiryuu Touga, Sagara Cross, Chiho Saitoh, Tianquing Han, and Megani Kamari."  
  
Wakaba didn't hear anything after that. Neither did Utena or Anthy who had turned to stare at the girl. She was frozen in place, a terrified expression holding the territory. The quivering came a moment later, followed by her whisper of "I'm first." This status held for a minute… then she passed out.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Wakaba sat in the cafeteria, staring at her lunch. The food she had bothered to eat now sat heavily in her stomach. Next to her, Saionji stared at the coffee in front of him. Neither really knew what to say.  
  
"Saionji-senpai..."  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"...Nothing"  
  
"Liar."  
  
They continued to sit there. Saionji wanting to say something that would make her feel better; Wakaba not knowing how to express her fears. Before this, she had been very good with expressing her emotions; she was like an open book. However, this new world she had come into didn't have tolerance for people who were so open with their weaknesses. She couldn't tell him the truth.  
  
She was afraid  
  
She was ashamed  
  
She was alone  
  
Therefore, she sat there, feeling sad and terrified. Feeling the self-doubt creep into her. She was an ordinary girl with no special powers or skills. She wasn't like the others; vibrant shining things worthy of others praise. She had been one for a while, but it was just an illusion; a temporary polish on the dull platitude that was her life.  
  
I can't win this duel...  
  
...Because I'm nothing.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Wakaba stood outside one of the dorms, staring up in to the sky. The clouds moved peacefully, fluffy white dots soothing the souls of hectic students. There was a commotion some way away and her attention was drawn there instead. It was Utena and Anthy. They were talking and laughing as they made their way to class. The crowd they were walking through obscured their sight enough that they couldn't see Wakaba, but there was no hiding them.  
  
There was a time when I wanted to know what Utena saw in her. I don't know when, but I began to see it after a while. Even if she was strange, Anthy WAS special. She shone as Utena did. She shone enough to make everyone, even Saionji want her. Wakaba turned and looked into a window behind her. Looking in her own reflection. The image she made was faint and easy to lose.  
  
Sometimes I wonder...  
  
...If I didn't have Utena and Saionji to notice me...  
  
...Would I just disappear.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Utena and Anthy finally got to their apartment and relaxed. Utena wilted against her chair and ran a hand through her sweaty hair. Anthy sat more properly but she was still tired herself. Outside, the still summer air hummed with the sound of cicadas.  
  
"Ne Hime, is it just me or are we really busy lately."  
  
"The other students look up to you."  
  
"Is that what it is?" Utena said, flicking her wrist out of her hair, the sweat beads flying away in glistening arcs. Taking a few strands, she looked at the tips and sighed. "Have you ever wish that maybe I wasn't so popular?"  
  
"What do you mean."  
  
I don't know, it's just that sometimes with they way people are always approaching me; I kind of wish that sometimes I could just disappear.  
  
"Hmm."  
  
There was a moment of just contemplative silence, then.  
  
"Hey, where's Chu-chu?"  
  
"I don't know, maybe he went to look at the flowers."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Juri sat against the wall in her room, her head in her hands, her soul in turmoil. His name kept looping through her mind, unable to stop and unwilling to let go.  
  
"Luka."  
  
It wasn't enough that her hunted her and advanced on her when he was alive, now he haunted her and built regret now that he was dead.  
  
"Don't worry Juri"  
  
"Bullshit! How could those be your last words? After everything you knew, everything you felt; that was it? 'Don't worry.' You made me think you were immortal. The great Luka, come back to take back his club and save me from my pain. You shouldn't have come back! You'd still be alive today if you had just stayed away! Then we'd both be happy."  
  
"You were never happy Juri, not while Shiori was away and especially not after she came back."  
  
"Don't mention her name!"  
  
"Why not, I got closer to her than you ever could."  
  
"Shut up!" Juri leaped forward and tried to punch him, but quick movement on his part ended up with her in his embrace. He held her to his chest tightly and stroked her back. She wilted under it all. "I hate you."  
  
"Poor Juri, so used to lying to other people that she's even begun lying to herself. Do you really hate me? Because, if you do I'll leave; I'll leave you alone and never come back. I'll stop haunting you forever." He felt Juri's hands tighten on his jacket and he smiled.  
  
"Don't go, please don't go. I didn't want you to leave the first time and you just left me alone. Everyone does that. Everyone always leaves me alone. No one I ever cared about has ever stayed."  
  
"Is that why you shut down your emotions?"  
  
"It was just easier that way. If I can't feel any emotions, then I can't feel pain. I let my club and other activities rule my life and just stopped believing in such silly things as love and miracles. Then she and you came back and everything went to hell. Tenjou came along and reminded me that emotions exist and now I can't shut them off and everything hurts." She felt lips on her hair and knew they were his.  
  
"I'm sorry to have caused you pain."  
  
"Don't leave, please."  
  
"I won't, I'll haunt you forever, if that's what you want."  
  
"I don't want to forget you."  
  
"Then don't"  
  
"I don't want to be alone."  
  
"Stupid girl, you never were. There are people around you who will never leave you. These cherished friends will help you if you let them."  
  
"They can't help me like you did."  
  
"Alright, if you want me to come back so badly I will."  
  
"That would take a miracle, you're dead."  
  
"Maybe you should start believing in miracles."  
  
"Bullshit."  
  
"Goodbye Juri."  
  
Then he was gone, leaving Juri to lean against open air. She tumbled forward and was about to hit the floor when her eyes opened. Instead of the floor, she was looking across her bed at Sakaya. The other girl looked at Juri with a concerned expression.  
  
"I dreamed of him."  
  
"I know."  
  
"I don't want to forget him. I'm sorry if that makes you sad." Sakaya's only response was to pull Juri towards her and hold the fencer tight.  
  
"Then don't; just let me hold you while I can."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Wakaba found herself in front of the atrium. Deciding the flowers would be nice to see, she went inside. It was musty inside, yet cool. The sprinklers had been on. She walked on further and came upon another person. The new deputy trustee chairperson was watering the flowers. She leaned over to water some daffodils in a vase. Wakaba walked over and looked at the small flowers.  
  
"Why do you water such small common flowers."  
  
"Do you really think so? I think they're rather pretty. Isn't that enough reason to water them?"  
  
"But you can find daffodils anywhere. There's nothing special about them."  
  
"Hmm, it is true that they are rather common; but that doesn't mean that there isn't anything special about them. They really are pretty flowers and you feel good looking at them."  
  
"Most people like roses better."  
  
"Roses are pretty too, but they're not the only flower out there. I think people tend to forget that."  
  
"Most people still like roses best."  
  
"You don't know that for sure. Maybe you should try asking people what they like."  
  
"Why do you like daffodils though?"  
  
"They're tough. They can grow anywhere undisturbed. That's kind of an advantage of common flowers, because no one picks them as much they are strong and will grow anywhere." As Kami said it, she plucked a daffodil from a vase and put it in Wakaba's hair. Cupping the girls face she looked adoringly at her. "Yes, it does seem to fit." Then taking the vase, she walked over to where the roses grew and placed it dead in the center. Even amongst all the beautiful blooms, the simple flowers stood out, vibrant in their yellow petals. "Hmm, will you look at that? An ordinary flower shines even amongst vibrant ones. Something to think about, isn't it Shinohara-san?" Wakaba just stared at the arrangement and nodded.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Sayonji was waiting outside of her dorm with a worried look on his face. When she walked up, he ran over to her and hugged her. She felt the convulsive grip and he shook with worry.  
  
"Where were you? I called to see if you were okay and when no one picked up I ran over."  
  
"I had a lot to think about."  
  
"Are you alright?"  
  
"I'm fine."  
  
"I'm so glad."  
  
He pulled her away and looked into her face, then noticed the flower in her hair. Taking it, he examined it. Twirling it between his fingers, he smiled a bit.  
  
"A daffodil."  
  
"You like them?"  
  
"Yeah, they're my favorite flowers. Before you laugh, listen. When I was a kid; whenever I wanted to get away and just not be with anyone I would go to this hill to lay down and just be alone. Daffodils grew all over the place and as I would lay down staring at the grass, they would make me feel at peace. So, now that I'm almost an adult, I have come to prize these over all other flowers. I know it's strange, but that's the way I feel."  
  
What he didn't see was the glistening expression on Wakaba's face as she listened to his words. Something in her heart lifted and a tear glistened down her cheek. The next moment, she was throwing herself into his chest, holding him tight.  
  
"Thank you Saionji"  
  
"For what?  
  
"For liking ordinary things..."  
  
...Like me  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
As Wakaba ascended in the elevator, a look of determination fell upon her normal cheerfulness. Her fingers flexed around the Wakazashi that Saionji had given her to duel. Arriving at the top, she surveyed her surroundings. The arena was still the same. There, across from her was another young man. Sweat glistened off his forehead and he quivered as if he were cold. He wore the school typical uniform though she wore a uniform made by Anthy in the same brown as her hair. After a minute, a girl in the schools uniform walked up and pinned their roses to their chests.  
  
The duel went fast; both were amateurish, but well prepared. His defenses were good. It went on for ten minutes like this.  
  
Wakaba circled her opponent again. She couldn't find one opening in his defense. The cut on her arm hurt from where he had taken a swipe at her, but her rose was still pinned in place. Suddenly, he took a side step and stumbled in a crack in the floor. His attention diverted Wakaba cried out and lunged. Recovering, he turned and readied his own arm for a strike. They passed each other and it was only when Wakaba stopped that a victor was known. Wakaba stood there with half of her rose cut, but it was still there. However, her opponent stared at the floor, where the remnants of his entire rose lay.  
  
Meanwhile, Wakaba was also staring down into the cracks in the floor. Growing from one of them was a healthy strong daffodil.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
In the darkness of the chairman's wing, they lay panting and sweating. Their clothes, long lost and forgotten. After a minute of panting and mewling, Akio leaned up and stared down at her. He smirked and rested his weight on his arms. In the girl's upturned hand lay a white rose. Akio reached behind him and placed the object over the girl's face.  
  
"you're mine now."  
  
As he pulled his hand away, the face of comedy looked at him, the black mask smiling up into nothing.  
  
"Of course Akio-sama"  
  
"Across from the bed sat Kanae with another young lady in her lap. The sheet wrapped around them was the only thing keeping them warm. On the girl's face lay the white mask of tragedy. In her hand was a black rose. She used the rose to stroke up and down Kanae's face.  
  
"Do you understand what he has said?"  
  
"Yes Kanae-sama."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Preview of Next Episode:  
  
Utena: Yes, here is it, the day I've been waiting for all year!  
  
Anthy: The day that lets our natural talents shine forth.  
  
Juri: The day where we dominate this school at last  
  
Juri/Miki/Utena/Anthy/Saionji/Wakaba: Carubu Faiya!! (Club fair for all the gaijin in the house)  
  
Utena: EH! Who's this girl challenging me to a basketball game?  
  
Saionji: Wait a minute, shouldn't we be worrying about my duel coming up?  
  
Utena: Who cares about you Kyouichi!?!  
  
Saionji: Nani!!!  
  
Anthy: Now now, you two shouldn't fight so much. Next time on Shoujo Kakumei Utena; Kakumei no Bara: Where Eternity Duels, Saionji's Club Fair Duel  
  
Utena: Don't miss it. It's the absolute destiny apocalypse.  
  
Anthy: Hey, that's my line  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Author's note: Yay, I finally wrote chapter 8. It took me forever to get the inspiration. I watched Kareshi Kanojyo no Jijyo until I finally got it. Haha. Oh yeah someone asked me if there was gonna be a gravitation crossover. No no, there are just going to be a lot of uncreative puns going on.  
  
Yuki/Souichi: C'mon, my favorite Yaoi couple so far. Than again, seing as it's the only shounen-ai series I've ever seen, my pickings are slim  
  
Sagara Cross: Karasu means crow, so he's going to have that pun thrust on him a lot, and it does sound a lit like cross romanjified (my word). Sagara is also a name I stole from Sagara Sanossuke from Roruni Kenshin.  
  
Chiho Saitoh: One of the more famous people responsible for creating Utena. If you're an Utena fan and have never heard this name before you should be slapped with a dead fish. 


End file.
